I felt so out of place when I first got to Bangkok. The food smelled weird. I did not recognize the letters on any signs, much less understand the words that were being said to me. I had never been in a country in which I did not speak the language, so I was completely out of my comfort zone. As I rolled my suitcases out of the airport and on to the street, however, I realized there was something I did recognize: a smile. While most of the local Thai people initially looked at me with curious eyes, their faces usually shifted to a smile once I met their gazes. I held onto this realization as I attended my first day of classes.
In Bangkok, I attend Thammasat University’s Business school. While I quickly made friends with other international students that live in my same building, getting to know the local Thai students proved to a bit more difficult. The language barrier caused most Thai students to struggle to hold a conversation with us due to many small miscommunications. Though I got through my first day by refining my charade skills and many references to Google Translate, I knew I would need a bit more help if I were to reach my goal of making at least one lifetime friend in Thailand.
