Ali, Susan, Amanda, Lisa and I (all teachers in South Korea), arrived in Thailand, February 1st, 2:00am.
After living in Korea for six months I can't help but compare the two countries.
My overall impression is that Thailand is like a Korea that got laid.
Everything I write in the following entry is going to be a generalization. Sorry.
1. The people.
Thai people are poorer, fatter, browner, and WAY more relaxed than Koreans.
When I enter shops in Thailand, instead of shuddering, giggling nervously, shooting looks at their fellow co-workers that clearly mean, ' oh HELL a FOREIGNER', and generally making me feel unwelcome; Thai people will talk your ear off forever, in the most unselfconscious, beautiful rendition of the English language (they sound slightly Jamaican to me). Of course, tourism is a top industry here, which directly influences the Thai comfort level with foreigners, it's still nice.
Thai people also have much darker skin. Koreans are generally OBSESSED with being as white as possible.
Ali bought sunscreen in Korea to take on this trip. When she first put it on in Thailand, it was this horrific thick goop, that, in Ali's words, 'looked like the sunblock my parents wore on their noses in the 60's' ie it really didn't rub in well. Later that evening, Ali removed her shirt, to find stripes of it had been BLEACHED. That's right. Those white-obsessed Koreans hid bleach in their sunscreen! (To be fair, it probably said bleach on the label..in Korean). As you can imagine, tan-seeking Ali was a bit put-off to find she had inadvertently bleached herself.
1 point to Thailand for being comfortable in their skin, not wearing HUGE visors and kid gloves, and smiling ALL the time.
2. The toilets.
I can't believe I've lived to see the day when I judge a country on it's squat toilets but...
When I arrived in Korea I was not impressed with straddling a porcelain hole in the floor, desperately trying not to pee on my feet (although in the bus station in Suncheon, their is a stall labeled 'foreigner only' with a proper toilet inside).
In Thailand it's (hate to say it) even WORSE. The squatters here are raised from the ground (about a foot?) with narrow places for your feet on each side. So instead of JUST having to squat and pee (a feat in itself) you also have to balance on slippery ledges connected to the squatter. It's a disaster waiting to happen! AND you also have to flush the toilet manually! Next to each squatter is a large cistern of water with a bucket inside. So you have to collect the bucket from the grimy water, and dump water down the toilet.
1 point to Korea, for being 'slightly' less disgusting.
To recap we're standing at one point Thailand, one point Korea.
What could possibly break the tie??
Oh I know...
3. The FOOD
And Thailand wins the competition by a landslide!!
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