Let’s Talk to Locals
Coming to Bangkok on the Prime Minister’s Scholarship, one of the events I was most looking forward to was visiting the local university and interacting with the student community. As representatives of the University of Auckland, we were invited by the Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon (RMUTP) to visit the campus and create valuable…Continue Reading Let’s Talk to Locals
Cultural Excursions
Our cultural excursion over the weekend was a tiring yet amazing opportunity to learn the ancient Thai culture while exploring Ayutthaya, a province near Bangkok. Waking up at 6 am became all worth it as soon as we got introduced to our tour guide for the day, Amir. I won’t lie; I’m sitting here writing…Continue Reading Cultural Excursions
Year of the Rāpeti
This week I had the pleasure of witnessing the Chinese New Year celebrations. The food, the performers, the music, and the amount of people were surreal. I spent the night walking the streets of China Town watching, listening and taking everything in. He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he…Continue Reading Year of the Rāpeti
What’s new?
Well, we’re well into this 8-week adventure, and safe to say, it’s been nothing short of one. I’ve been fortunate to visit a couple of other towns/islands, but the majority of my time has been spent in the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. There is truly so much to talk about when it comes to this…Continue Reading What’s new?
One Whole Month?!
Well, it’s been one whole month in this beautiful, incredible place called Thailand. I had intended to write my first blog post much sooner, but, truth be told, the past four weeks have been such a whirlwind of working hard and playing harder that time has slipped through my fingers. But for my own records…Continue Reading One Whole Month?!
Week Two and Three Adventures
Introduction Hello and welcome to my blog for week two and three in Bangkok. There is never a dull day in Thailand when there is so much to experience, with a range of activities to keep you entertained when you get some time away from work. These last two weeks have been full on to…Continue Reading Week Two and Three Adventures
Deal or No Deal: Cash is King and QR Codes are too
When in Bangkok, do as the Bangkokians do. Except…when you can’t. One of the most painful, or dare I say, excruciating problems while in Thailand, is the reliance on cash as a form of payment. New Zealand is still very much behind when it comes to curating digital payment processes, and this is constantly clear…Continue Reading Deal or No Deal: Cash is King and QR Codes are too
ภูเขา: a reflection on life in Bangkok
If I were to describe my first couple of weeks in Thailand thus far, I would say the experience is like a ภูเขา (P̣hūk̄heā). A mountain with many beauties, triumphs, and despair. Tramping has always been an emotional activity. With no final destination in sight yet still having to push through, going up a mountain…Continue Reading ภูเขา: a reflection on life in Bangkok
Work, Conferences, Beaches, and Temples
With the internships taking up most of our days, we hadn’t a lot of time to explore the city and enjoy the beautiful culture Bangkok offers. Weekends were the days to explore! So after a long and tiring couple of weeks of working in Bangkok, we decided to have a relaxing weekend in Krabi. Thailand’s…Continue Reading Work, Conferences, Beaches, and Temples