Learning One New Thing a Day in Southeast Asia
Learning One New Thing a Day in Southeast Asia
/ / Chiang Mai Thailand; Singapore Singapore; Bali Indonesia; Makassar Indonesia; Majene Indonesia; Mae Sot Thailand; Kuala Lumpur Malaysia / /
This past summer, from May 29th to August 1st, I lived overseas in Thailand as a nanny for an American family. This experience was my first time traveling to a country with an Eastern culture as opposed to the Western culture I grew up in. My friend, Hannah Pritchett, gave me the idea to write down one new fact or observation that I had while living in Asia this summer (primarily Chiang Mai, Thailand). The first few days I had to backtrack because I wasn't looking for new fun facts each day until June 1st.
29 May- Noah is allergic to apples.
30 May- Colby loves baseball, especially the St. Louis Cardinals.
(in Singapore)
31 May- In Asia, feet are considered unclean and are not permitted on chairs, etc.
1 June- Street Markets are only allowed in Singapore during Ramadan after the Muslim fast is over for the day.
2 June- In school in Singapore, students typically learn English in addition to the language of their ethnicity, which is typically Malay, Tamil, or Mandarin.
(in Thailand)
3 June- In SE Asia, "smoky season" is from the beginning of February to April from smog before the rain washes it away.
4 June- Khao soi is the signature dish of Chiang Mai. It is a noodle curry soup and is one of the only dishes in Thailand that is eaten with chopsticks.
5 June- The Old City lies within a square surrounded by a moat in the center of Chiang Mai.
6 June- The Thai alphabet has over 40 consonants and 30 vowels.
7 June- The Old Bangkok Airport was underwater during the floods of 2012-2013.
8 June-When eating, Thais use the fork to push food onto the spoon, then eat from the spoon.
9 June- Payap University is a Christian university in Chiang Mai.
10 June- Some Thai people pose for photos by putting their thumb and first finger together, making a small heart. This originated in Korea.
11 June- Bangkok is the capital of Thailand.
12 June- Cars in Thailand automatically lock and unlock when the driver's door locks and unlocks.
13 June- Mae Baans (house helpers) feel like their help isn't wanted if you clean up while they're there working.
14 June- Thailand is the country 2nd leading in car accidents (fatalities).
15 June- "Soi" is the Thai word for street.
16 June- In markets such as the night markets and Sunday market, vendors believe if you're their first customer and you buy something from them, they'll have good luck that day/night. If you don't buy from them, they'll have bad luck.
17 June- Most Thai dishes come with lime to squeeze onto to add flavor.
18 June- Chang is the Thai word for elephant and the brand of a popular beer, advertised everywhere.
19 June- Buddhist Thais believe in karma, so they tend to be very generous because they believe it will come back to them in their favor.
20 June- Chiang Mai in Thai translates to "new city" and is the capital of Northern Thailand.
21 June- In restaurants, if you see a spider, you should tell a waiter and they'll take it outside since spiders kills other insects.
22 June- Bowing in Thailand is called the "wai", and should not be returned to someone who is younger than you.
23 June- July is the King of Thailand's birth month, so everyone wears a little bit of yellow (the color of royalty) through the entire month.
24 June- The drivers in Thailand do not honk. People might follow you, or even in extreme cases, get violent.
(in Indonesia)
25 June- One US dollar is equivalent to over 14,000 Indonesian rupiah.
26 June- Thailand was one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to grant universal suffrage to its citizens in 1932, before a lot of Western countries as well.
27 June- Indonesia is made up of 17,508 islands.
28 June- On many of the islands, it is the custom for women to have the majority of their body covered e.g. long sleeves, long pants, and a head scarf.
29 June- In July, Indonesia (or possibly just Bali) has a kite festival because of the strong wins. During this festival, people ask favor from the gods.
30 June- July 27 marks the anniversary of the Buddha's first sermon; it is also the beginning of Buddhist Lent that lasts 3 months.
1 July- Denpasar, Ubud, and Badung are cities on the island of Bali; Makassar and Majene are cities on the island of Sulawesi.
2 July- It's considered rude to serve a dinner guest water before they're done eating, because it signifies the end of a meal.
3 July- Tanta means "aunt", and om means "uncle" in Indonesian, but they can be used for terms any female or male as signs of respect.
4 July- The left hand, in Indonesia, is considered dirty (people sometimes wipe with it), so one should never eat or take or give something to someone with their left hand. The right hand is called the "sweet hand".
5 July- Mesjid is the Indonesian word for "mosque"; they are found everywhere. 12 percent of the world's Muslims live in Indonesia.
6 July- 90% of Indonesian men smoke tobacco.
(in Malaysia)
7 July- Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and has a population of 7.5 million.
(in Thailand)
8 July- Moo is the Thai word for "pork".
9 July- A lot of Asian cultures are very into "cutesy" decor and characters. We saw a house completely Hello-Kitty themed.
10 July- Animists worship spirits of their ancestors and bring food and drink to them at spirit houses which are everywhere in Chiang Mai.
11 July- Mae Sot, Thailand is a refuge for thousands of Burmese people fleeing persecution in Myanmar.
12 July- Croatia hasn't been in the World Cup Finals for over 50 years. / Migrant workers typically earn around 350 baht per day aka $11.50.
13 July- Hundreds of people cross the Myanmar/Thailand border illegally every day, but authorities don't seem to care.
14 July- In Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, people drive on the left side of the street.
15 July- Didier Deschamps is the only person to ever win the World Cup once as a player and once as a coach (France).
16 July- The total metropolis of Chiang Mai has over one million occupants.
17 July- Women are not allowed to touch monks, their belongings, or sit next to them on public transport.
18 July- Farang means "foreigner" in Thai. Kad Farang is a market for foreigners. Some places serve "farang" versions of food which are typically less spicy.
19 July- At most Thai massage places, you get massaged as well as stretched.
20 July- For sit down meals, Thais will not use plastic when serving meals to guests. Plates are glass, and silverware is metal.
21 July- The Nimman District in Chiang Mai is known for its trendy atmosphere of shops, restaurants, places to get coffee, and is very near to Chiang Mai University, Maya Mall, and the CNX International Airport.
22 July- 96% of Thai people are Buddhist.
23 July- Thailand is bordered by four countries: Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
24 July- The current King of Thailand's name is Maha Vajiralongkorn and has been king since 2016.
25 July- The tigers that live at Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai are Bengal Tigers.
26 July- It's illegal to sell alcohol on Thai national holidays.
27 July- Quite a few phrases in Thai end with either "Ka" (the feminine identifier) or "Krup" (the male identifier) e.g. Sawadee-ka means "hello" as said by a female.
28 July- Red songthaews are for tourists and go almost anywhere. Other colors of songthaews represent different routes.
29 July- The Sunday Market is a popular tourist attraction that takes place at Tha Phae Gate in the Old City.
30 July- Wearing yellow symbolizes support of the King, while wearing red symbolizes an anti-establishment mindset.
(in Singapore)
31 July- Singapore is known as the "City of Fines" because their government is so strict about their laws.
(in the United States)
1 August- I learned so much about taking care of kids and Asian culture this summer. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.
12 June- Cars in Thailand automatically lock and unlock when the driver's door locks and unlocks.
13 June- Mae Baans (house helpers) feel like their help isn't wanted if you clean up while they're there working.
14 June- Thailand is the country 2nd leading in car accidents (fatalities).
15 June- "Soi" is the Thai word for street.
16 June- In markets such as the night markets and Sunday market, vendors believe if you're their first customer and you buy something from them, they'll have good luck that day/night. If you don't buy from them, they'll have bad luck.
17 June- Most Thai dishes come with lime to squeeze onto to add flavor.
18 June- Chang is the Thai word for elephant and the brand of a popular beer, advertised everywhere.19 June- Buddhist Thais believe in karma, so they tend to be very generous because they believe it will come back to them in their favor.
20 June- Chiang Mai in Thai translates to "new city" and is the capital of Northern Thailand.
21 June- In restaurants, if you see a spider, you should tell a waiter and they'll take it outside since spiders kills other insects.
22 June- Bowing in Thailand is called the "wai", and should not be returned to someone who is younger than you.
23 June- July is the King of Thailand's birth month, so everyone wears a little bit of yellow (the color of royalty) through the entire month.
24 June- The drivers in Thailand do not honk. People might follow you, or even in extreme cases, get violent.
(in Indonesia)
25 June- One US dollar is equivalent to over 14,000 Indonesian rupiah.
26 June- Thailand was one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to grant universal suffrage to its citizens in 1932, before a lot of Western countries as well.
27 June- Indonesia is made up of 17,508 islands.
28 June- On many of the islands, it is the custom for women to have the majority of their body covered e.g. long sleeves, long pants, and a head scarf.
29 June- In July, Indonesia (or possibly just Bali) has a kite festival because of the strong wins. During this festival, people ask favor from the gods.
30 June- July 27 marks the anniversary of the Buddha's first sermon; it is also the beginning of Buddhist Lent that lasts 3 months.
 |
| Bali, Indonesia |
2 July- It's considered rude to serve a dinner guest water before they're done eating, because it signifies the end of a meal.
3 July- Tanta means "aunt", and om means "uncle" in Indonesian, but they can be used for terms any female or male as signs of respect.
4 July- The left hand, in Indonesia, is considered dirty (people sometimes wipe with it), so one should never eat or take or give something to someone with their left hand. The right hand is called the "sweet hand".
5 July- Mesjid is the Indonesian word for "mosque"; they are found everywhere. 12 percent of the world's Muslims live in Indonesia.
6 July- 90% of Indonesian men smoke tobacco.
(in Malaysia)
7 July- Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and has a population of 7.5 million.
(in Thailand)
8 July- Moo is the Thai word for "pork".
9 July- A lot of Asian cultures are very into "cutesy" decor and characters. We saw a house completely Hello-Kitty themed.
11 July- Mae Sot, Thailand is a refuge for thousands of Burmese people fleeing persecution in Myanmar.
12 July- Croatia hasn't been in the World Cup Finals for over 50 years. / Migrant workers typically earn around 350 baht per day aka $11.50.
13 July- Hundreds of people cross the Myanmar/Thailand border illegally every day, but authorities don't seem to care.
14 July- In Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, people drive on the left side of the street.
15 July- Didier Deschamps is the only person to ever win the World Cup once as a player and once as a coach (France).
16 July- The total metropolis of Chiang Mai has over one million occupants.
 |
| Wat Chedi Luang (a temple in Chiang Mai) |
18 July- Farang means "foreigner" in Thai. Kad Farang is a market for foreigners. Some places serve "farang" versions of food which are typically less spicy.
19 July- At most Thai massage places, you get massaged as well as stretched.
20 July- For sit down meals, Thais will not use plastic when serving meals to guests. Plates are glass, and silverware is metal.
21 July- The Nimman District in Chiang Mai is known for its trendy atmosphere of shops, restaurants, places to get coffee, and is very near to Chiang Mai University, Maya Mall, and the CNX International Airport.
22 July- 96% of Thai people are Buddhist.
23 July- Thailand is bordered by four countries: Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
24 July- The current King of Thailand's name is Maha Vajiralongkorn and has been king since 2016.
25 July- The tigers that live at Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai are Bengal Tigers.
26 July- It's illegal to sell alcohol on Thai national holidays.
27 July- Quite a few phrases in Thai end with either "Ka" (the feminine identifier) or "Krup" (the male identifier) e.g. Sawadee-ka means "hello" as said by a female.
28 July- Red songthaews are for tourists and go almost anywhere. Other colors of songthaews represent different routes. 29 July- The Sunday Market is a popular tourist attraction that takes place at Tha Phae Gate in the Old City.
30 July- Wearing yellow symbolizes support of the King, while wearing red symbolizes an anti-establishment mindset.
(in Singapore)
31 July- Singapore is known as the "City of Fines" because their government is so strict about their laws.
(in the United States)
1 August- I learned so much about taking care of kids and Asian culture this summer. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.
 |
| Noah, Colby, and Hailey reading one of the books I brought with me this summer. |
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| A woman and her child selling souvenirs at the rice terraces in Ubud, Indonesia. |
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| In Majene, we could walk down a path from our hotel and be in this coastal village. |
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| Mae Sot, Thailand: A border city between Myanmar and Thailand. 1/2 of the residents are Burmese and 1/2 of them are Thai. |
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