On Living in Chiang Mai

These are a few observations I've made about a charming city-town named Chiang Mai:

1. When you go to the movies here, they have at least 20 minutes of previews. After the previews they play this song and show pictures of the king on the screen, everyone must stand during this audiovisual experience. Or else, you risk getting kicked out of the theatre or punched in the face for disrespecting the king.

2. Shoes must come off before entering a house and some shops. We've adpoted this no shoe policy and intend to make it a way of life. The feet are considered the filthiest part of the body, so you shouldn't put your feet on coffee tables nor point at anyone with your foot. That includes showing the soles of you feet to people--it's considered extrememly disrespectful.

3. Dinning is an interesting experience: when you sit down and are given menus, you're given about zero seconds to review the menu, whether it's 1 page or 10 pages. Most of the time the server stands at your table until you're ready to order, which causes me to choose something quickly. When it's time to get the check, the servers are either nowhere to be found or they blatantly ignore your attention-getting glances in their direction.

3a. Tables are set with 1 fork and 1 spoon. I still have yet to master the eating technique which entails using both at once.

4. Unless you live in a western-style house, your residence WILL NOT come with a kitchen. No kitchen means eating out for all of your meals.

5. Doing pretty much anything here is a team effort. I went to Central (a department store) and purchased a shirt. I took it to the register and one woman picked it up and handed it another lady who folded it, who handed it to another woman who put it in a bag for me, who called another woman that appeared with a card that had the barcode on it. I gave my money to the woman who folded the shirt and she handed it to another one. On another occasion, I was eating dinner in a rooftop restaurant and ordered a Pepsi. The servers brough everything to the table in pairs--one to hold the tray and another to place the things on the table. When my Pepsi came, one woman put down the coaster and another put the soda bottle on the coaster. It's all about team effort.

6. Street signs and traffice lights are mere suggestions. A red light never really means stop and when people are crossing the crosswalk cars don't really have to slow down.

7. Some prescription medicines such as birth control pills and allergy medicines, which require a visit to the doctor and a written prescription in other countries, are sold on shelves in the medicine section of the drug store--and you can purchase as many as you want. I purchased a 5 month supply of a particular product for $16, whereas at the school pharmacy my 6 month prescription costs $95. All I have to say is that I'm going back for more!