First week in Chiang Mai: meet the Sŏrng·tăa·ou!

On Tuesday we flew to Chiang Mai - it's such a difference! Instead of a warm, crazy big, skyscraper city, there is this city in a green valley with trees (and a breeze!) It is hotter than Bangkok, though not as humid, so it's more bearable. We are staying on the third floor of an apartment, a 15 minute walk from the hospital.

Our best discovery of Chiang Mai, meet the sŏrng·tăa·ou, the best way of transport around Chiang Mai. It's an 'open' red taxi which drives around the city and you can get to any place you like trying to use your best Thai pronunciation. We have limited that to 'city center' and other well-known places in order not to get lost. Apparently we have a very important temple as a neighbour, which makes it easy to get back home - so we're quite lucky.

To understand, and make yourself understandable is sometimes quite a challenge. Also because the Thai smile friendly at you when you ask something, invent whatever you might have asked and give you something completely different. An awkward situation is soon created, and we're learning something new every day. (though it feels like every hour, every minute)

We've already met our 'neighbours'. There are again so many houses that during some parts of the day transform into a great lunch or coffee-place. They just put some plastic chairs and tables outside, and have big pots with delicious food. Everyday it's something different, we haven't had 2 the same dishes. (we wouldn't know how to order for the same dishes as we are clueless of the names and the ingredients) We have already found our favourite place (we named it Hotel mama as we have no clue what the Thai names are). We've already started buying 6L bottles of water, but it still finishes so quickly! I'm sure we'll get really strong once we get back. :)

So, first day of internship. We went to the medical department of the university and accidentally found the right person straight away. She showed us around a bit and dropped each of us in a different department. I will be at Gynaecology and Obstetrics this month, where Damaris will do Surgery. So, she put me in some room, where after 45 minutes someone came to pick me up and again show me around the different wards of gynaecology and obstetrics, all different buildings and different floors and left me somewhere at the 5th floor with people who have very difficult names. I do have a problem with the Thai names, haven't managed to remember any name today. But they are all very nice, and helpful as I'm trying to figure out what is going on. I'm not sure what I saw today, I think it was some kind of UCG and a check up of pregnant women. I think there is a lot I can learn! :) At the end of our first week things are falling into place a bit more and making more sense.

Yesterday and today we have gone out to explore a bit more of Chiang Mai and beat the heat, it still quite a big city, but not as overwhelming as Bangkok. There are lots and lots of temples covered in gold around here. You can hardly walk 10 steps without seeing a new one! We also discovered we are far away from the touristy area, which seems to be pretty good. No worries though, as McDonalds and Starbucks haunt you everywhere you go.

We are looking forward to celebrating Easter here and we got invited to join the international church here. Soon we will celebrate the Thai New Year. More about that in the next blog, but I'll tell you one thing: water guns are involved!

To be continued..