I’m enjoying every second of the sweltering heat I’m experiencing right now. Not just because any day when the high is less than 90 degrees some Thais will complain about how cold it is, but also because it’s a welcome change from the harsh DC winter. We’re approaching the Thai New Year year (mid-april), which coincides with the hottest part of the year and is celebrated by multiple days of waterfights in the street (a colleague advised me not to wear a suit as she had been doused in water in full professional attire the year before)!
I’ve started my job at a sustainable development company that engages in a variety of activities ranging from water projects to renewable energies and conservation efforts. It’s a smaller firm so it has the distinct feel of a startup with the associated excitement and latitude to interpret tasks. The company does have a long history of projects and I am very excited to help out for a few months. The staff in Bangkok is more Thai than foreign, but everyone speaks English well and I quite enjoy the dynamic. Potentially more to come on this later.
Each morning I am whisked away on the ultramodern BTS, an elevated train system that is icy cold. I step out of the ice box into the blazing heat of a Bangkok morning. By the time I reach my office some 400 meters away I am glistening with sweat. I work on the 10th floor of the All Seasons Place- near the American embassy and in one of the nicest parts of Bangkok.
I’ve started my job at a sustainable development company that engages in a variety of activities ranging from water projects to renewable energies and conservation efforts. It’s a smaller firm so it has the distinct feel of a startup with the associated excitement and latitude to interpret tasks. The company does have a long history of projects and I am very excited to help out for a few months. The staff in Bangkok is more Thai than foreign, but everyone speaks English well and I quite enjoy the dynamic. Potentially more to come on this later.
Each morning I am whisked away on the ultramodern BTS, an elevated train system that is icy cold. I step out of the ice box into the blazing heat of a Bangkok morning. By the time I reach my office some 400 meters away I am glistening with sweat. I work on the 10th floor of the All Seasons Place- near the American embassy and in one of the nicest parts of Bangkok.
The BTS
My first act after selecting a desk and admiring the view and the décor of the office (which is very nice- the walls in the lobby are made out of river reeds and have a unique texture)- was to setup my computer and get situated. I plugged in my handy “travel surge protector” and immediately recoiled my hand as I had caused a minor explosion…
I removed the surge protector and noted the plume of smoke emerging from the side. As the office filled with the potent scent of burned electronics, a few of my coworkers gathered behind me and chuckled, telling me that american electronics can be plugged directly into thai outlets… I sheepishly tossed my singed surge protector into the trash and followed their advice.
Unfortunately, my laptop charger appeared to no longer work. It was only one hour later that my colleague, "Tee", asked me if I had power. We realized that I had actually blown out the power for 6 desks including the receptionist, who had already relocated to another desk.
Luckily, a maintenance man came in the afternoon, saved me by finding the circuit breaker box and restoring power to our office.
Apart from starting with a bang, things have been quite seamless and it was easy to immediately take a liking to all of my coworkers. They are very friendly and we all eat lunch together daily- its a tour of local cuisine. More on impressions of Thai people and Food soon!
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