こちら、私がアメリカで長い事使っていたでっかい携帯ですが、日本に帰国するその日の解約としたので、流れでそのまま持ってかえってきてしまったんですが持って帰って来て良かったです。というのも、先日書いたように、SIMカードを差し替えたらこの写真のように、ちゃんとタイのキャリアで使えたから（当たり前）。便利な世の中ですねぇ。私が大学構内に滞在しているせいかもしれませんが、タイでは日本とほぼ同じくらいの割合でみんな携帯を持っていますね。でもびっくりするのは、といってもびっくりしたらいけないのかもしれませんが、いわゆるストリートベンダーとも言うべき屋台のおばちゃんとかも、普通に超高機能そうな携帯（カメラ２コ付きの小さいノキアとか）を使って大声で話したりしているところ。あ、「大声で話したりしているところ」がびっくりするポイントではなくて、「屋台のおばちゃん」というところでびっくりしたんですよ。でもこれって失礼なのかも。言い訳するわけじゃないんですけど、私もふらっと携帯屋さんを覗いてみたんですけど、すんごい高いんですよー。物価や給料がこんなに違うのに、あんなに高いものみんな良く持ってるなーと感心してしまいます。私が日本レベルの給料をいただいていても、躊躇するような値段なのに…。
さて、話はガラっと変わりますが、先日近況報告でアメリカのValにメールを書いたので、それをそのまま載せておこうと思います。長いですけど、到着したばっかりの雰囲気が出てる気がしたので自分の思い出のために。
Hi Val:
You must be glad to be home… Were New Orleans and Orland very hot?
I’m in Bangkok. I thought it’s going to be VERY hot in Thailand, but surprisingly it’s about the same as Kumamoto (Japan) or even cooler than Kumamoto. I don’t know if it is just now or not. But cooler than Kumamoto doesn’t mean it’s cool, it’s still very hot and humid! Thailand is in its rain season now until early October, so there are several strong squalls (thunder storms, sometimes) a day but the storms are actually very nice to cool things down, so I kind of like the strong rain. And it takes about only 10 minutes or so for the storm to pass.
I’m staying at Kasetsart University (http://www.ku.ac.th/english2003/general/) and the main campus is more than 4,000,000 sq. meters in area, may be way more than that. There are little forest areas, lots lots of lakes, very modern and high-tech buildings, classic Thai temples, dark and old traditional buildings, etc., and it’s very easy to get lost. Seriously, I got lost so many times already!
This University has the largest wireless network in the entire Asia, throughout this main campus (called Bangkhen campus) and I can go online anywhere. So I am sitting under my favorite tree and writing this. Today is the last day of this University’s 3-day graduation ceremony so there are lots of graduates, students, parents, families, friends, media people, flower sellers, food vendors, and so on. One of the Thai royal princesses will come to the ceremony today, so there is a tight security, too. Unfortunately I cannot see the princess but it looks absolutely a big deal that she comes.
Anyway, I started the project this Monday and it is moving pretty fast. The professor I listed on the research proposal is from Phitsanulok province, about 5-hour drive from Bangkok. So the professor suggested me to stay in Bangkok with a professor (Food Safety) at Kasetsart University so that it would be easy for me to do the consumer surveys in Bangkok area. I’ve heard that Thai people work only 6 hours a day (because I heard if they work too hard, their immune system goes down and it is easy for them to get sick from all kinds of viruses, like Hepatitis A or something, or insect-carried diseases, so it’s a natural defense system, they say) but the 6-hour is very intense. People just drop in and talk about my research and try to help me so I’ve met so many people and they gave me lots of ideas and suggestions and stuff… So I feel it is kind of hard to catch up with everyone! But I guess it’s a very good thing. So I’ll keep it up. Besides, it’s just a 6 hr/day work…
I’ve attached a flow chart that shows my project plan in one chart, with a rough timeline. It’s just for your information, but as always, I value your advices and opinions very very much, so if you have any comments, please please let me know.
Please take care of yourself, and send my regards to your family. I’ll keep you posted about the research progress.
Sincerely,
Masami
You must be glad to be home… Were New Orleans and Orland very hot?
I’m in Bangkok. I thought it’s going to be VERY hot in Thailand, but surprisingly it’s about the same as Kumamoto (Japan) or even cooler than Kumamoto. I don’t know if it is just now or not. But cooler than Kumamoto doesn’t mean it’s cool, it’s still very hot and humid! Thailand is in its rain season now until early October, so there are several strong squalls (thunder storms, sometimes) a day but the storms are actually very nice to cool things down, so I kind of like the strong rain. And it takes about only 10 minutes or so for the storm to pass.
I’m staying at Kasetsart University (http://www.ku.ac.th/english2003/general/) and the main campus is more than 4,000,000 sq. meters in area, may be way more than that. There are little forest areas, lots lots of lakes, very modern and high-tech buildings, classic Thai temples, dark and old traditional buildings, etc., and it’s very easy to get lost. Seriously, I got lost so many times already!
This University has the largest wireless network in the entire Asia, throughout this main campus (called Bangkhen campus) and I can go online anywhere. So I am sitting under my favorite tree and writing this. Today is the last day of this University’s 3-day graduation ceremony so there are lots of graduates, students, parents, families, friends, media people, flower sellers, food vendors, and so on. One of the Thai royal princesses will come to the ceremony today, so there is a tight security, too. Unfortunately I cannot see the princess but it looks absolutely a big deal that she comes.
Anyway, I started the project this Monday and it is moving pretty fast. The professor I listed on the research proposal is from Phitsanulok province, about 5-hour drive from Bangkok. So the professor suggested me to stay in Bangkok with a professor (Food Safety) at Kasetsart University so that it would be easy for me to do the consumer surveys in Bangkok area. I’ve heard that Thai people work only 6 hours a day (because I heard if they work too hard, their immune system goes down and it is easy for them to get sick from all kinds of viruses, like Hepatitis A or something, or insect-carried diseases, so it’s a natural defense system, they say) but the 6-hour is very intense. People just drop in and talk about my research and try to help me so I’ve met so many people and they gave me lots of ideas and suggestions and stuff… So I feel it is kind of hard to catch up with everyone! But I guess it’s a very good thing. So I’ll keep it up. Besides, it’s just a 6 hr/day work…
I’ve attached a flow chart that shows my project plan in one chart, with a rough timeline. It’s just for your information, but as always, I value your advices and opinions very very much, so if you have any comments, please please let me know.
Please take care of yourself, and send my regards to your family. I’ll keep you posted about the research progress.
Sincerely,
Masami