First Taste of Bangkok!
(makes me laugh everytime)
What am I doing in Bangkok in the first place?? I am here to help out with the HIV/Aids awareness program of AIESEC. Like us, they have a target to reach for the no. of workshop attendees in order to receive funding from Standard Chartered Bank. After BKK, I'll be heading directly to Delhi for 2 weeks and then 3 weeks in UK to celebrate my brother's graduation (more like to celebrate the end of the extremely high fees giving ritual HAH).
So after a long wait at Starbug/bucks at the BKK Suvarnabhumi - awesome- airport, we waited yet another hour or so for Jolin who is high up in the AIESEC Asia-pacific (got to find out the post!).
It was there I learnt that, when they told me the MC will be busy with national planning, they meant the entire AIESEC Thailand would be spending 4 days (talking about AIESEC) on the outskirts of Bangkok. I kept thinking I'll continue doing my work in main city Bangkok (which is to raise workshop attendee nos. for the TRUST program) while the rest planned.
The place where I am currently enjoying Thai food is called 'We Train' which is a school/venue for women empowerment and such. The rooms are dorm style with bunk beds that shake (like crazy shake) every time I'd breathe. But it was exciting to sleep dorm style again. And needless to say, I look forward to breakfasts, lunches and dinners and regret that there are no suppers. All thanks to the awesomeness of Thai food. It's 4.02PM and (for the first time I am OK with the fact that) I am looking forward to dinner at 6PM (dinner at 6PM??).
Well, I am rather pleased that AIESEC Thailand was my choice for CEEDership.
The situation is such that Aiesecers here generally tend to talk in Thai and Thai sounds like a string of thickly spoken mandarin/vietnamese sounding words with a tune. And the Management Committee has a lot of international aiesecers which I feel is a good thing and also an indication of something that needs attention.
On the brighter note, the Thai aiesecers are really friendly. With the small exception of my immigration officers at the airport who needed some loving at night, seriously. I couldn't help but say, when I left, 'PLEASE have a nice day' BIG smile
And with Charmy Dolly, I doubt I can get bored here. She just told Suchith (current president of aiesec in Thailand) to wake up while she was presenting! HAHAHA hilarious.
AIESEC has a culture of.. certain.. roll calls. It goes something like this:
someone: AIESEC!
everyone: WHATS UP!
someone: AIESEC!
everyone: WHATS UPPPP!!!!
someone: how are you feeling??
everyone: excellent!
someone: HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
everyone: EXCELLENT!
someone: how are you FUCK ING feeling?
everyone: FUCKING excellent!
And this is what happened in AIESEC Thailand after this very routine roll call.
Oom (elect MCP): After the presentations, we will give you guys a 30 min break.
Everyone: Yay!
Tom: Do you want a BREAK???
Everyone: YEAHH!!
Some loud aiesecer: Do you want a FUCK ING break?!
HAHAHA. The immigration officer could do with one.
Lastly, I am trying to get some AIESEC Singapore work done in between the endless dance routines =D
Will upload pictures VERY soon. Thanks to Johann for lending me his Fuji DSLR for the summer!