20. September 2017 | Von Carina Lobenberg
Markets, malls, spice and smiles – A journey through Bangkok
Our big adventure abroad started more than one month ago, but it feels like time is running.
Our big adventure abroad started more than one month ago, but it feels like time is running.
Our big adventure abroad started more than one month ago, but it feels like time is running! But the city offers million things to do and so boredom has never been part of our daily life. Bangkok is a city of diversity since it connects cultural traditions and modern lifestyle. You can see the nicest and the most luxurious architectures next to small ramshackle huts or even next to green places which almost remind you of a jungle.
Bangkok is full of temples, tuk-tuks, huge! shopping malls and street food. In Bangkok, no need for parasailing or bungee jumping for some thrills, just flag a tuk-tuk. This experience brings you definitively closer to the pulse of the city. For the normal course of life I recommend using Uber or Grab – it is the cheapest way to get to your destination. All in all, the transportation is quite inexpensive in Bangkok (1,50€ for 10km).
There are several opportunities for you to find a great place to stay in Bangkok. The most students of this semester decided to stay at iSanook or Nonsi residence. I stayed with two other girls at Nonsi for the first month. Indeed, we found out we could live for the half of the price, so we moved to S.K. Grand Sathorn.
The campus itself covers a huge area. There are different buildings for different subjects. Macromedia students are studying at the “Faculty for communication arts”. Even if all courses are taking place in one building, it was pretty tough to get a feeling for the campus. But Bangkok would not be Bangkok if you don’t see at least one smiling Thai around waiting for offering help. Everyone – no matter if student or lecturer – is cooperative and cheerful. But a huge applause goes out to the student ambassadors of Chulalongkorn University. If you have any issues during your time in Bangkok, just make sure you are connected to one student ambassadors via Facebook or Line and you can count on them. The professors have a lot of knowledge and implement it very passionate.
There is no rule that says you need to wear the Chulalongkorn uniform (exempt from exams), but nearly everybody decided to get one in order to show respect to existing manners. I love wearing a uniform since you need less than one minute in the morning to get ready. However, the “installation” of it turned out to be an ordeal. You need to get special buttons and a brooch which need to be added to the white blouses. This means you need to cut off the normal buttons, enlarge the existing buttonhole and add the special Chulalongkorn buttons. Every single button and the brooch need to be taken off before washing. Anyhow, it feels like you build up a special relationship with your uniform.
The university already planned a trip for the second week of the semester. All Macromedia students were invited to join the trip to a city called “Hua Hin” (for free). Hua Hin is the most traditional and oldest Thai holiday resort on the west coast of the Gulf of Thailand. The resort was spotted in 1920 by King Rama VII as an ideal getaway for holiday from Bangkok. Hence we visited two summer palaces of the Thai Royal Family.
The trip was amazing since we had the chance to get to know the students from other Macromedia headquarters. However the trip had also its negative aspects: Several students were stung by jellyfishes and needed to see a doctor. So: If you ever plan a trip to Hua Hin watch out!
