THAILAND.
One to two students a month die in a traffic accident. My campus has 10,000 students. Each month, at least one student dies in a motorbike accident. It is hardly talked about, it is just seen as “normal” and doesn’t elicit shock. Preventive measures are not taken. In my university in the U.S., with 20,000 college students, there was one student death in my four years there. It was emailed to every student to announce it, there was shock everywhere, and students were offered counseling to get through it. The radio lists the numbers of people dead in traffic accidents in Thai cities each morning and the result is astounding.
People walk squirrels, guinea pigs, rabbits, and ducks on leashes. They’re definitely not as common as dogs on leashes, but I have seen a fair number of squirrels, rabbits, ducks, hamsters, guinea pigs, and cats on leashes.
Temples, shrines, and religion everywhere. In Western countries, at least, religion is kept separate from business, school, and government. There are many Buddhist alters on my campus. Every government building has a Buddhist shrine. Spirit houses to placate spirits are on every building property. Every car has some sort of protection like a magic diagram, flower garland, or monk drawing in white paint to protect their cars from bad spirits and accidents. Religion is intertwined into everything.
Babies on motorcycles, four people on a motorcycle. The traffic accident deaths might make more sense now.
Really Graphic Newspaper Images. Thai newspapers don’t censor their images at all, they often show very graphic, bloody scenes of dead or dying people. These images are also posted in public transportation and even in bathroom stalls. It was shocking, at first.
“Feminine” men. Thais don’t have the same concept of masculinity we do. I have gotten into plenty of cars of men filled with plush, pink stuffed animals. Their rooms and beds are filled with stuffed animals too. They love to go to fairytale cafes and eat animal-shaped desserts. Men drive pink motorcycles without thinking it’s weird. Men sit reeeeallly close to each other and touch each other without any thought to it. I think it’s nice, honestly.
Street food, everywhere. If it can fit on a cart, someone will sell food there. I absolutely love it, you can’t find that in America.
Monks, everywhere. Whether I’m riding a van or making a stop at 7-Eleven, there’s probably a monk within a 20-meter radius. Especially in the mornings when they’re collecting offerings of food from everyone.
Complete, Absolute Bluntness. The first time you meet someone, you can expect them to tell you how beautiful you are. You will also hear how fat they think you are, and if your body or face looks old or young. They’ll say outright if someone is ugly or not. There’s no hiding anything here and they’ll say it with a smile.
Family. Everyone will smile at you. If you ask what they’re eating, they’ll invite you to sit down with them and try. They’ll invite you into your homes if you’ve just met them. They’ll always pay for your meals if they first meet you. If you don’t know how to get somewhere, they’ll give you a ride. They’ll help you in every way they possibly can. Everyone in Thailand is family.
Ladyboys everywhere. If it’s a touristy area, you’ll see some ladyboys dressed in drag promoting their cabaret show. A ladyboy gives me my monthly salary at my school and another one dyes my hair for me. They are super common.