Orientation Week at Prince of Songkla University

So after a few days of chilling at the beach, roaming around and partying finally our orientation week started. We are 73 students from Asia Exchange plus a few Chinese students. So we are probably never gonna be alone during the next months:)

Day 1

Day 2

Learning Fundamentals of Thailand and Thai People

Day 3

Campus Tour

Day 4

Visit at Asia Centre Foundation



and then it was time for.....

ICEBREAKING WEEKEND AT KO PHIPHI

Freedom Beach

Although I thought that Phuket would be swamped with tourists, it is fortunately not. One reson could be that at the moment it is still low season, the other that we live in Kathu. Once you go "over the hill" to Patong, you will see a lot of tourists walking on the sidewalk.
As we wanted to discover some more beaches we tried to get to freedom beach. It is off the road and in a bit hidden location, so not that easy to access....

With the help of our friend Patrick we managed to get there and it was awesome! There were only a few locals smoking fish, the water was clear and blue, the sand was great and the waves were perfect for some waterfun.:)

Scooooooters!!!

Two days ago we rented scooters and it was the best decision ever!! It might be scary if you drive the first time on a scooter, in a different country, but trust me you will be alright. I used to sometimes ride a motorbike in the Philippines and I missed the feeling of air on my skin while driving.
As we are students we got our scooter for 2500 bath/ month. That's really nothing compared to what we already spent on taxis. If you want to take a taxi you have to wait and always bargain, with a scooter you can just hop on it and ooooff you go ;)

So it's time for us to explore Phuket...
Instead of getting to the Big Buddha we ended up at a school next to the facilities of the buddhist association.

Nightmarkets

During our first night Jana and me already went to a nightmarket and we loved it. We walked around, bought something, drank something, played a game and watched a band.

 

But that was only the start. As there is a nightmarket close to Phuket town at the weekend we decided to go there...

Wow, it was so much fun! You could buy almost everything: Buddha statues, running shoes, dresses, earrings, make-up, bags & suitcases and a loooot more! Of course food and drinks as well;)

Asia Exchange Students

 Oh yeah, speaking of food: We did it! We ate fried crickets!!
They tasted pretty good, cause the spices on them were nice and they were crispy :D

Haha

First Days in Thailand

Thai, House Hunting, Nightmarket Shopping, etc.

So yesterday evening me and my friend Jana finally arrived at Phuket Airport. We flew from Düsseldorf via Abu Dhabi to Phuket by Etihad Airways. Was a pleasant flight.

Abu Dhabi Airport

Arriving at Phuket

After driving to our guesthouse by taxi, we went out with our hosts to eat something for dinner. The food was very nice and cheap. Love it!

Today we met Alice and Jossie again, to go and look for houses. But first we went to the Prince of Songkla University, to take a look at our campus. We really enjoyed it as there was a volleyball match and some kind of dancing competition. There was something like team spirit in the air with everybody cheering.

3,2,1....YEAH!

WOW, now there is only one single tiny day left. The last days I spent with my friends and I visited my cousin and her family. In the end there was a little girl clinging to my leg screaming "noooooo, you caaaaan't leave!" :D Adorable!

Back home I continued packing my suitcase. Somehow I got the strange feeling that I forgot something, but fortunately my suitcase doesn't look like this.... Haha

4 DAYS...

Discovering the philosophy of Buddha...

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly"

5 DAYS...

Okay, as most of us have tried thai food at least once in their lives, I will write about something else which makes me excited. Thai drinks!! I think I've tried almost every canned juice from my asia store closeby, but which is (more or less) typically Thai?

The site http://www.khiewchanta.com/archives/drinks/ provides an overview of Thai drinks.

I'm definitely going to try this! ICED COFFE WITH RICE BALLS

And this.... CITRUS BANANA PUNCH

And this....YOGHURT SODA. Weeew!:)

Last but not least, one of my favorites which I already tried in Vietnam. SUGARCANE JUICE

6 DAYS...

Not slowly, but SURELY we are getting closer to the departure date.
Here is another thing I really wanna do: ELEPHANT RIDING
I know that some elephants get exploited, so I would make sure that those elephants are treated in a good way....

7 DAYS!

Here's a little tale:
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Madeleine who tried to surf at Borongan in the Philippines. Cause she didn't really succeed and only swallowed one gallon of salty seawater, she decided to try it again some day.....

8 DAYS....

Can't wait to treat myself to a thai massage... every day!!:D

9 DAYS LEFT!

yeah! the countdown has started....

This is a traditional dress for Thai women and I am going to get one like this for suuuuuure. Looks loveable <3

Boooooks!

I have to make a confession: I looooove books! ;)
Unfortunately since I am mostly busy with studying or working I hardly have time to read. Anyways, as I got my semesterbreak right now, I decided to take a look at the newly designed library in Nuremberg and get some books about Thailand.
So this is my catch:

 Written in English, this small and handy book gives an overview of proper behaviour and customs in Thailand

Although I dislike the title "culture shock", I think this is a very well written book which contains tons of informations about Thailand.
This one is written in German, but there is a similar book in English.

Last but not least "Thai Street Food"! I love this book. The author and his girlfriend listed various thai dishes and spots/small restaurants where you could find them. I got soooo hungry while looking at all those meals :)