Abroad Trip Day 5

Today, we went to Chiang Mai University (CMU). We started the day in a conversation class taught by an Ole alum who graduated 2 years ago. Her conversation class is a class for English students (as in those learning to speak English) to practice conversations with each other, because you can know every word and nuance of grammar and still not be fluent because you don't know how to have a conversation with someone in that language. We paired up with the students, so Anna and I partnered and talked with “Claire” and “Kiss.” They are second year students majoring in English and Psychology respectively. Very nice, very friendly girls.

We then practiced our observation skills by conducting an observation in their school cafeteria, the canteen. Everyone drinks from straws, even with plastic bottles. It's a little weird. We also had a lecture from a professor who studies Japanese and Thai culture comparatively. His accent was very thick, but understandable. He didn't have time to prepare the English version of the lecture, so it was very good considering. His handwriting was scribbles though.

We ate lunch in the Humanities cantin. Every department (faculty) and dorm has their own cafeteria. We played “point and hope it's good” again. It turned out pretty well. I ended up with curried sweet potatoes, and squid with sugar snap peas, and a strawberry smoothie. It was very good. Thai portions are the perfect size. I don't feel hungry and I don't feel full.

After lunch, we went to the Old City. It's very ornate and decorative. There is gold leaf on everything, and monks in saffron robes are everywhere. There are also a lot of dogs. I donated 20baht to feed the Temple Dogs.

After we got back, we got coffee and went to an internet cafe/massage parlor. Less sketchy than I anticipated. Of course, we couldn't actually see the massage side so it probably was sketchy. I paid 20baht for an hour on a nice computer. Then, we went downstairs to “Organic Vegetables” and I got tofu broccoli stir fry for 30 baht. Yum!

Trip Day 5!

Today, we had an early departure of 9am! We boarded the bus and headed to Koper, the main port town on the Slovenian coast. I should mention that the Istrian region of Slovenia has 2 names for everything: an Slovenian name and an Italian name. This is because on the Istrian peninsula, there has been a lot of intermingling of Slovenes, Croats and Italians, and there is a large Italian minority on the Slovene part of the Istrian peninsula. So Piran, our main town is Pirano in Italian. Koper is the Slovene name, and Capodistria is the Italian name. It means ˝Capital District˝as in the capital district of Istria.

Anyway, we went to our lecture at the University of Koper, where we first listened to a talk from the Rector of the University. After he gave his brief introduction of the school, a professor of anthropology gave a lecture about Istrian identity. Then one of the American Foreign Service Officers from the Embassy gave a little talk about American-Slovenian relations. Finally, we met with the staff at American Korner, the office for students who want to study abroad in America. Considering college is almost free in Europe, and they are less strict about attendence, not many students want to travel to the US.

We then went to lunch in Koper as a group and after went for a walking tour of the city. It is really small. It used to be an island, but they filled it in about a hundred years ago. The bus then drove along the coast back to Piran, with our talkative tour guide narrating our journey. There were some great views of the vinyards and valleys next to the ocean. The hairpin turns in a coach bus were a little weird, but Boris the Bus Driver is capable and we are still alive.

There are also these super tall clumps of grass. They remind me a little of pampas grass, only way taller and in smaller clumps and without the fuzzy tops. I'll post a picture if I can get one, but it's hard to do from the bus.

For dinner, we went to this place where you can get a 5 course meal for €7. We didn't do that, but it was still pretty cheap (€12) for spaghetti with salmon, wine, a crepe with chocolate and tea. I would get something else for an entree next time I go there, but it was very delicious overall.