The World Archives - the bird on fire

Oliver’s Ranking for Every Season of the Year

April 19, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

By Sophomore Oliver Martinez

Spring is officially here; now we can see some plant growth; snow is melting and going away, and we are entering warmer times. However, there are some downsides to warmer spring weather–like awful allergies. I’ve personally started to feel these allergies, and that makes me like spring less. Still, to celebrate spring’s arrival, I’ve made my rankings from worst to best of the seasons of the year.

4. Autumn/Fall

Autumn is in my opinion very boring and the least eventful time of the year. Plants start to lose their leaves, which not only is really sad to see, it just makes it worse that it’s so windy so the leaves go all over the place. It makes it a pain to clean them up. On top of that, this is that sad time of year when school starts. Another thing I dislike about Autumn, weirdly, is the name. Autumn is such a weird name. I don’t know how to explain it, but it sounds so… artificial. Also, I hear people say they like the colors. I think there is nothing to like about them. Orange and yellow are lame colors. There are many that are far better than that.

3. Spring

Spring was close to going into last place, but I think it’s slightly better than Autumn. My main reason for disliking the season is that during Spring, allergies come around. I swear I haven’t gone a year of my life without getting allergies during Spring. They’re the most annoying thing ever. I hate them so much. I hate going to sleep knowing that I’m going to have to breathe through my mouth. It’s also really annoying to have a stuffy nose and, worst of all, a sore throat. I think that after COVID-19 came around, allergies automatically became three times worse. Now, whenever I wake up with a sore throat, I immediately assume I have COVID-19, and it’s really annoying. One reason why spring isn’t the worst season is because of the rebirth of plants and trees. It’s nice to see bright colors for once. And, it’s nice to see the different flowers that sprout during this season.

The palo verde trees here on campus shower us with yellow petals in the Spring. If you hurry, you may still catch the super bloom happening now in Anza Borrego.

2. Winter

I think Winter is a really good season. I like the cold weather, and I like the overall vibe of this season. I’m not entirely sure why, but people are generally much nicer and happier during Winter. It may be because of holidays, vacations, discounts in shopping, etc. It’s always nice to see people happy. On top of that, winter gives me an excuse to buy more hoodies. Then, since it’s the end of the year, there are a lot of things getting announced for the upcoming year: like movies, games, music, etc. I also like the plans that sports associations have during these times. Like the NBA games during the end of the year are way more fun to watch. They’re a lot more exciting, and teams are releasing limited edition merchandise along with stadium giveaways. And, to top it all off, we get two weeks of break during Christmas and New Year’s which is awesome. Overall, winter is so great because of all the awesome things that are going on at once – the ambience, how people behave, and because of the time we get off from school.

Winters surround us with snow on the mountains encircling the Coachella Valley. We’re lucky. We get to look at pretty snow, and we don’t have to scrape it off our windshields. Photo Credit: coachellavalley.com

1. Summer

My absolute favorite season of the year is Summer. Although I prefer the colder weather, Summer is just so fun. First of all, we get two months off of school, which is a big plus. I actually don’t mind the heat too much; I know it gets pretty hot, but waking up late and knowing there’s no school for some time is really nice. I have so much free time during summer, I start exploring different things that I thought I would never do. Last summer I read three books, which surprised me because I hadn’t seriously read a book in so long. I like playing basketball at night, and the best part is that all my friends are available to play because there’s no school or homework. I like that I don’t have to go to sleep early because I won’t have to go to school the next day. Allergies are generally not as common during Summer, and (at least for me) getting sick is rare. We also sometimes go on a trip somewhere which is really fun, even if it’s not too far. And, lastly, the NBA playoffs come during summer around mid-late June. It’s so fun watching the games live, and it’s very exciting because all the teams just play so much better during the playoffs. On top of that, it’s fun to find out what team will win the championship. One thing overrated about Summer is going to the beach. I think that going to the beach is overrated and more of an inconvenience because of how dirty you get and how absurdly crowded it is. Overall, Summer is the best season because of vacation off school, the warm weather, the free time, spending time with friends and because of the sports.

I think my list is pretty accurate; maybe it would change once I graduate because there won’t be vacation off school anymore, but for now this is my definitive list of the worst to best seasons of the year. Would you change anything on this list? Let me know in the comments.

*Apparently, the opinions expressed by Oliver Martinez do not express the overall opinions of thebirdonfire.org (especially not Louisa’s).

My Three-Michelin-Star Dining Experience

March 29, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

The Blog Staff wanted to explore FOOD FROM AROUND THE WORLD. We’ve examined the best fast-food chicken-sandwich, the best street food, wagyu, fish, and the mercury found in fish (thank you, Levi). Indy takes us inside a Michelin-Star restaurant–the world famous Le Bernardin.

By Junior Epicurist Indy Behr

The Background

Le Bernardin is a seafood restaurant that was founded in 1972 in Paris, France, by Maguy and Gilbert Le Coze, and they received their first Michelin star four years later, and then two more stars four years after this. In 1994, Le Bernardin relocated to New York. Eight years after the move, Gilbert Le Coze died, and his widow continued operating the restaurant. After this, Gilbert Le Coze’s former student Eric Ripert became a co-owner of Le Bernardin. Maguy Le Coze and Eric Ripert continue to co-own the restaurant today.

My Visit

I am very much a foodie, but until February 20, 2023, I had never been to a restaurant with a Michelin star. On that day, I visited Le Bernardin in New York City, which has three stars, the most a restaurant can get. Normally, getting reservations for this restaurant is very difficult, as it is relatively small despite its popularity. As a result, because we only decided to go a week before our visit, the only reservations my family could get were for a Wednesday night at 8:45 p.m. Though it was almost midnight before we returned to our hotel, it was all worth it. My whole family got the eight-course tasting menu, and I am going to go course by course and review each one. In the end, I will give each course a rating out of 10.

The Courses

The first course is called Tuna-Urchin, and it entails a tuna tartare, essentially minced raw tuna, on a small wafer. The tuna is topped with a small amount of sea urchin flesh. I have had many tuna tartares, and this was unquestionably the best take on it I have ever had. It was minced to the perfect size and seasoned very well. I had never had sea urchin before, and it was actually pretty good. It has a pretty strong flavor, but there was not too much of it, so it did not overpower it at all. This course was an 8/10.

The second course was the Scallop-Caviar. This had a slightly warm tartare made with scallops. The dice was much larger than with the tuna. It had a very rich texture and was sweet, and our waiter explained scallops are the only seafood that caramelize due to its sugar content. It had a scoop of Osetra caviar on top, which is one of the best forms of caviar money can buy. I have had caviar before, but never such a fancy type. These two parts of the course worked very well together, and the caviar was definitely what sealed the deal for me. I rate it an 8.5/10.

After this, we had the Lobster course. It was small pieces of lobster with a salad made of grapes and fennel. Fennel is a vegetable with a similar texture to a carrot but with a flavor kind of like licorice. The lobster was very good, but, honestly, I think the grapes were a little too ambitious. The big bold berry overpowered the lobster. The fennel, however, worked really well with the lobster. I am giving this course a 7/10.

The fourth course, the Langoustine course, was absolutely my favorite course. The langoustine was like lobster but so much more tender. It just melted in your mouth. It had an egg-white-based wild mushroom sauce and aged balsamic vinegar, and both of these sauces were great and complemented the langoustine. This was a 10/10… at least.

The fifth course was the Dover Sole, which had a very traditional buttery almond topping, and it has a sherry wine emulsion. Dover sole is really tender, and it’s one of my favorite fish dishes. The sauce went with it really well, and I enjoyed the crunch from the almonds. I rate this course 8/10.

The sixth and last entree course was the Halibut. It had really nice baby root vegetables. The tiny carrots were definitely my favorite of the vegetables. However, the best part of this course was the bourguignon sauce. If you have ever had beef bourguignon, it is the same as this. The beefy red wine flavor actually goes shockingly well with the very meaty and flaky halibut. Thanks to this sauce, this was a solid 9/10.

The first dessert course was Pistachio. It was a pistachio praline, and, to be honest, I was not a fan. I do not really like pistachio flavor that much, so I am biased, to be fair. However, the sauce was also not my favorite. I liked every other course, but I would have been fine with only one dessert course. This was a 3/10.

Lastly, we got a pear sorbet. The sorbet had a very nice presentation with a perfectly round scoop. It had delicious chunks of pear sprinkled throughout that really added a nice textural component. This was an incredible way to close out the meal. I only wish this was our only dessert course. 10/10

Overall, I really enjoyed Le Bernardin. It’s a big investment, but if you have the chance, next time you’re in New York, I recommend you visit.

Treats From The Philippines

March 28, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Upper-School Blogger Alyna Rei

I have never been to the Philippines before let alone out of the United States. But traveling there has always been on my bucket list. Along with traveling comes food and bakery goods. Note: I eat Filipino food on a daily basis. And, sometimes, it is cooked by my grandma–who is from the Philippines. But, Filipino baked goods overall are totally different from the day-to-day food served here in the U.S. I am writing this with an American perspective.

Puto

Before you yell at me for saying a bad word, Puto is a treat. It tastes like plain pancakes. Puto is basically a steamed rice cake. For me, I have always eaten Puto shaped in a muffin form, which is the most common shape for Puto.

Kutsinta (koo-chin-ta)

When I go to any Filipino store, I always search for their Kutsinta. Kutsinta is another steamed rice cake, but it’s a lot sweeter and gummier than Puto. Kutsinta tastes like brown sugar with a tapioca consistency.

Along with Puto, Kutsinta has the familiar “muffin” shape. Photo source: pinoycookingrecipes.com

Pandesal (pan-de-sal)

Pandesal is another one of my favorite Filipino treats. To other people, Pandesal looks just like regular bread rolls. But, I prefer Pandesal over any type of bread. Pandesal is more doughy and floury than other types of bread. If I do have Pandesal, then I typically have it with breakfast before school. You can even have Pandesal with other things: such as butter, peanut butter (I like the crunchy peanut butter with Pandesal), beef, and even on the side with your meal. There are also a lot of flavors to get. My favorite is the pandan. Pandan tastes like coconut with a hint of vanilla, which confuses me since the color is green.

The outside of Pandesal is crispy while the inside is soft and fluffy. Photo source: seriouseats.com

This is pandan-flavored Pandesal. I pair this up with butter to get a sweet and salty taste. Photo source: sugarampsprinkle.com

Mamon (ma-moan)

Mamon is Filipino sponge cake. Like Pandesal, there are many flavors: such as butter, ube, mocha, cheese, etc. My favorite is butter mamon since it’s common and easier to get. When I’m in a rush for school, I usually take mamon with me since it’s easy to eat. Mamon tastes sweet but airy.

*Red Ribbon* is my favorite brand of mamon. Photo source: TripAdvisor in Las Vegas

If you do wish to try these bakery goods, I would recommend actually going to a Filipino store as that is the closest you can get to the taste from the Philippines. The only stores I am familiar with are “Seafood City” and “ Island Pacific Market.” Mind you these stores are not in the Coachella Valley. The nearest Seafood City would be in Rancho Cucamonga, and the nearest Island Pacific Market is San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles. Out of all of these sweet treat options, I would recommend you try Pandesal. It may appear just like bread, but it tastes so much different.

The Best Coffee I’ve Ever Had

January 26, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

A Sonnet Ode by poet Levi Kassinove

Ere the morning fog vanished,

By the hand of the golden sun,

Which rises betwixt London clouds,

Amber divinity, I was fated to meet.

Awoken by wanderlust, at 10 a.m.,

I trekked through blighted streets,

Gazing with ardent curiosity,

At the aquaponic garden surrounded by glass.

When my shackled palette,

Consanguineous with fog,

Entered its welkin doors ensconced in light,

Mine eyes fell upon machinery old and new.

T’was a Japanese iced o’ th’ Panama geisha stripe,

The amber sun unshackl’d my tongue.

For context: When I was in London, I had a Japanese-style iced coffee, made with Panama Geisha beans. Japanese-style iced coffee is when the barista pours the coffee directly over the ice as part of its mass, as opposed to the ice being added afterwards with no regard for the proportion between water and coffee. Geisha is a highly prized strain of coffee bean, and this particular variety was grown in Panama.

An Ode to Levi’s Hoodie

November 29, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

I asked PVS bloggers to find a captivating photo. Indy was captivated by Levi’s new hoodie. In these 60-degree days, an alpaca hoodie is surprisingly appealing.

By Junior Indy Behr

Levi stays cozy in his alpaca fiber-based hoodie in blog class, risking a potential dress-code violation. Note: No alpacas were harmed in the making of Levi’s sweater hoodie.

When I was assigned to write about a photograph I considered long and hard what sort of a piece I should author inspired by this prompt. It did not take me long to find what I wanted to discuss. Recently, a hoodie has come into my classmate Levi’s possession. To put it nicely, it is all he has talked about over the last few days. It is certainly not inexpensive, so I wanted to see why he said it was so worth it, and why he thinks it’s so special. Inspired by Pablo Neruda, I am creating my very own An Ode to Levi’s Hoodie.

An interesting story that inspired me to write this article is an incident wherein Ms. Zachik inquired to Levi whether his hoodie was made of cashmere. Levi was borderline offended at even the insinuation that his hoodie was made with cashmere, and he quickly interjected that it in fact was made of alpaca fiber. Several of us in blog class described Levi as pretentious, and his recent article regarding beef that costs $200 dollars per pound did not help him defend himself against these accusations. Levi’s blog colleague Luke went so far as to give him the nickname, “Princess Levi.”

The hoodie is Paka Apparel’s appropriately named The Hoodie. It is made up primarily of royal alpaca fiber, recycled nylon, and pima cotton. It is handwoven in the southeastern Peruvian city of Cusco. Paka Apparel describes The Hoodie as casual but also functional. It is very lightweight, coming in at less than 10 oz. It is said to be appropriate for climates both cold and warm. Though it is not cashmere–which is obtained from goats rather than alpacas, Paka claims it is just as soft. I have felt this hoodie, and I can confirm it is amazingly soft.

I was shocked to see how positive the reviews for this hoodie were. Reviewer Julia B. said, “It’s comfier and cozier than I ever could have thought.” Levi echoed this sentiment. Though some reviewers expressed their disappointment regarding the fact that The Hoodie does not have a pocket, Levi told me that the quality more than makes up for the lack of such a pocket.

This hoodie may be $139, but Levi does not even question its worth, and he wouldn’t let us question it either. When asked what his favorite part of The Hoodie is, Levi told me he appreciates that he can wake up everyday to dress himself in the fur of a Peruvian alpaca. He has said that his self-confidence is boosted when he sees “pitiful” students wandering donning “makeshift polyester hoodies with their logos and capitalistic designs.” In a sophisticated manner, Levi explained he values the cusqueña alpacas who do not provide their fur for profit, and he is of the belief that the alpacas “are honored” to provide their fur for such a noble cause as his hoodie.

All in all, I can very much understand why Levi treasures this hoodie so very much. Evidently, its price point is understandable once one factors in the quality ingredients that it is composed of, as well as the fact that it is handcrafted by experts in the Urubamba Valley who oversee the stunning views of the surrounding Andes mountain range (just look at Paka’s website, really). I think it is safe to say that Levi has successfully made me want to purchase The Hoodie.

You can find The Hoodie at pakaapparel.com.

Note: This hoodie is not considered dress code. Levi has been dress-coded and will only wear his alpaca during free-dress days.

Удалять*

September 1, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Junior Remy Haring continues with his second installment of his serial fiction inspired by The New Order–a mod for Hearts of Iron IV. If you recall, Remy visits an alternate dark history here, where, in WWII, the Axis powers have won.

Zeya, Amur, the Russian Far East, January 23, 1962

Rodzaevsky was sitting at his mahogany desk in his office. Behind him two flags flanked him — horizontal, yellow, black and white tricolor with a double-eagle grasping a bundle of sticks on each. To his left was an ashtray; to his right was a pile of photos of dissidents. Some had a red X drawn over their faces; others didn’t. Their occupations ranged drastically from those of lowly citizens to bureaucrats to the most trusted officials of his own cabinet. One photo in particular stood out to him.

It was an old black and white group photo from the beginning days of the Russian Fascist Party (RFP). Rodzaevsky was in the center with Grigory Semyonov on his left and Mikhail Matkovsky on his right. In each of their hands was a raised shot glass of vodka. None of them had a red cross marked over their faces. The photo was marked, “Harbin, Manchuria, September 13, 1932.” As Rodzaevsky was looking down at this photo, he heard a knock at his door.

“Enter,” Rodzaevsky ordered.

A Blackshirt entered the room. His uniform was pristine, all black snow gear with the only splash of color being his medal of the double-eagle grasping a bundle of sticks.

“The dissident Vlodimir Kozlov has been eliminated,” reported the Blackshirt. “He was hiding out in a forested neighborhood a few kilometers away from Zeya. He was… difficult but has been pacified. Given the remote area and that I was under the cover of night, I doubt anyone saw.”

Without another word, Rodzaevsky dismissed him with a wave of his hand. After the door shut, Rodzaevsky took a red marker from his drawer and crossed out the face of the most recent victim. Kozlov had been a middle–aged woodsman and a father of two. It was his youngest child who had reported him for the crime of freemasonry.

Rodzaevsky leaned back into his chair and turned on the radio:

“This morning, at 4:00 a.m. CET, the Swiss Seismological Service detected a seismic event from southern Burgundy that reached a 4.6 on the Richter scale before suddenly ending with no aftershock. The Swiss government has come to one terrifying conclusion: the SS State of Burgundy has successfully tested its first nuclear device.”
Radio Free Alps

*Purge

Things to do in the UAE

May 10, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Sienna Price, World Traveller

I have been to the UAE (The United Arab Emirates) two times now, and the first time (when I was ten) I did not love it. We stayed on the Palm Islands which are man made and a rip off with overpriced hotels. If you stay in the Palm, be expected to pay $40 for an average burger and $10 for a can of Coke. We went to the Aquaventure water park which was fun, but it only fills one of your days. The thing about the Palm is that it’s on an island connected by a bridge, so it’s hard to get anywhere off the island.

Over Spring Break, I travelled to the UAE again.This trip was a lot better despite the sixteen-hour flight time from LAX. We stayed in Ajman, which is an emirati around forty minutes drive from Dubai. The only downside to Ajman is that you need to rent a car to get around. You can get taxis, but it would cost a lot to get to the places you want to go. Most of the tourists in the UAE are European. There are a lot of British and Russian people. The common tourist goes places like the Burj Khalifa and the Souks. But this trip we thought of doing something a little different. The first couple days of my trip were full of sleeping and swimming. The jetlag was not fun with a twelve-hour time difference.

On the fourth day of our trip, my dad and I drove up to Ras Al-Khaimah. Ras Al-Khaimah is the emirati next to Ajman but Ras Al-Khaimah is mainly desert driving where you see lots of wild camels and tons of sand. But we drove to Ras Al-Khaimah to do the longest zipline in the world, Jebel Jais Flight. I thought it would be a good idea to do the longest zipline in the world with two hours sleep. Jais Flight is 2.83km long. I went down at 150 kmph for three minutes headfirst lying on my stomach down the side of a mountain 1,680 metres above the ground. First, I get altitude sickness; second, again, I had two hours sleep, so going down the side of that mountain… let’s just say my breakfast did not stay down! The zipline is definitely not for the fainthearted, but I would do it again, just maybe next time with more sleep under my belt.

We decided to do a Bedouin experience, where you get a taste of Arabian culture. It was fun. We rode camels, and I sand boarded down the dunes. One thing that was a little strange was that they were filming a Bollywood film, so I am now an extra in a Bollywood film that I don’t even know the name of! But it was cool to see the dancers and actors. Apparently the lead was famous, and everyone there wanted his picture. I googled him after and he has been in tons of Bollywood films.

Finally you can’t go to the UAE and not go to a water park, so we went to Wild Wadi at the Burj Al Arab. It’s not as big as the Aquaventure water park, but I prefer this one because it’s less crowded and you can get on a lot more slides.

Travel well, and do your homework on the plane.

Thank you!

Meet Dora from Ukraine

March 31, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Ani Madanyan, Trilinguist

This Dora is neither cartoon nor explorer. She is a Ukrainian high-school student to whom Ani has been teaching English online for six months. Dora remains in Ukraine, despite the war. Let Ani tell you about her connection to one of the hottest places currently on the planet.

I’ve been teaching Dora through the Engin Program which is a “non-profit organization that pairs Ukrainian students with English-speaking peers for free online conversation practice and cross-cultural connection.” The Ukrainian students typically are aged 13-22, and the English-speaking volunteers range between 14-25 (enginprogram.org). The Engin Program helps you pick students that you share interests with. For example, Dora and I both dance, both LOVE to read, and we’re almost the same age. The only difference we have is that she loves cats and I like dogs.

Dora lives in Myrhorod, of central Ukraine. She’s 14 years old, and she hasn’t gone to in-person school for three years due to the Coronavirus, now the war. She lives with her mother in an apartment building while her father lives in a small village in Ukraine, and he’s one of the rare people who lives in a house. Dora’s brother lives in America, and he traveled here all by himself when he was 17. Dora misses her brother so much, and she hasn’t seen him since she was a little kid. The main reason she’s learning English is to come to America and reunite with her brother.

Ani Madanyan online with her Ukrainian student Dora.

As we all know, there’s a war currently going on in the Ukraine.

How is Dora dealing with this?

Thankfully, Myrhorod is silent. The only alarming thing that happens is Dora hears sirens, which means that something is flying towards their town. But, so far she’s found that after 15 minutes, the sirens stop, and this means that there is no longer danger nearby. Dora has relatives in Kharkiv, and they got fired upon at night. Her relatives have been in bomb shelters ever since. A month into the war, Dora and her mother heard sirens that didn’t stop. They went to the bomb shelter, but then the sirens stopped once again. One night, they went to her father’s house in the tiny village, and they stayed there for a couple nights until Myrhorod was safe again. On March 17, 2022, Dora started distance learning again. Right now, Dora is very safe and her town is silent most of the time, and she finally went out with her friends for the first time. I’ve sent Dora packages of American foods, toys for her cat, etc. But, due to the war, I’m not sure she received them.

I learned about the Engin Program through senior Isabella Goetschel. I’m so grateful that she introduced me to this organization because if it weren’t for her I would have never met Dora. I recommend you volunteer and give Ukrainian children an opportunity to learn English while expanding your own horizons. Too often, we take our language and America’s peace for granted.

Campaign for the Use of “Dodgy”

March 9, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

As someone who has lived with a British mother for my entire life, a lot of English phrases are more than familiar to me and I forget they are not commonly used in the States. Personally, I think some of these words from “across the pond” are fun to say, and I hope after reading this some of you integrate them into your daily life. – Jesse Denyer

By Sienna Price

Since I have moved to America, I have noticed I have said many words and phrases people just don’t understand. I have a mix of words and phrases from living in Thailand, England, and New Zealand. At least a couple of times a week, I have to explain what something I said means, and I have found it very annoying.

One thing that most people use everyday is a hair bobble. Until I moved to America, I just assumed that a hair bobble was called a hair bobble. One of my American friends told me it was a “hair tie.” I have asked at least ten people what they call this (holding up a hair bobble), and they have all responded with “hair tie.” I personally think hair bobble is fun to say, so I continue to say it.

Another word that I love saying (it’s probably my favorite word) is “dodgy.” Every time I say this word, everyone turns around and stares at me. Every time I have to explain what It means. Dodgy is a really popular word in England. All my family members use it, and all my friends in England use it. Dodgy means dishonest or unreliable, potentially dangerous or of low quality. For example, that person looks dodgy. I personally think dodgy should be used more often in America.

When I first moved to New Zealand, I got invited to my friend’s house to swim. The message sent to my Mom was to bring your “togs.” My family had no idea what togs were. Later we found out that it means bathing suit. Another unusual word they use in New Zealand is jandals, which means flip flops.

Of course there are the commonly known words that get lost in American translation: like we call fries “chips” in England, and what you call chips we call “crisps.” People in America say “cookie,” and in England we say “biscuit.” Americans say check under the “hood”; British say “bonnet.” Americans say the luggage is in the “trunk”; British say “boot.” In England we say “rubbish” or “garbage,” but in America you say “trash.” There are many different words with the same meaning.

My accent is mixed British, American, and Kiwi. Sometimes I say trash; sometimes I say rubbish. It’s hard to pin down my accent. Sometimes I sound very British, and then sometimes . . . I sound American.

Thailand: The Land of Smiles

February 1, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

In this week’s exciting post, Sienna presents to us Thailand–a place full of smiles and beautiful culture. Sienna speaks from personal experience. She lived in and around Bangkok for eight months. Her favorite part of the experience? The animals! – Editor: Oliver Martinez

By Sienna Price, World Traveler

Welcome. This week I will be talking about Thailand, the animals living in many of its ecosystems, and my personal experiences with these animals. Also, I will be touching on Thai traditions and festivals. Thailand is known by many people as the land of smiles. This is because in Thailand there are 13 different smiles with 13 different meanings! There’s a very happy smile, a polite smile for someone you don’t know; there’s a stiff smile for when someone tells a really bad joke, a sad smile, and there’s even a smile when you want to say sorry.

Thai festivals

Thailand has many festivals and national holidays. Almost every month, I had a couple days off school due to a national holiday or festival. The Songkran festival is one of the biggest festivals in Thailand and one of my favorites. Songkran – also known as the Water Splashing Festival – is a celebration to mark the start of the Buddhist New Year in April. The Thai people celebrate the day of Songkran with water balloons and water guns. If you don’t want to get wet, don’t leave your house. There is a national water fight all over Thailand!

Loy Krathong is one of the most picturesque festivals in Bangkok. In November, people gather around lakes, rivers, and canals to pay respects to the goddess of water by releasing beautiful lotus-shaped rafts, decorated with candles, incense and flowers into the water (hotels.com).

Macaques

When someone says Thailand, I immediately think of monkeys. In Thailand there are thousands of monkeys, especially macaques. You don’t tend to see monkeys in the bustle of Bangkok, but drive one hour outside the city and there are thousands. I lived in Hua Hin, which is about a three and a half hour drive from Bangkok. In Hua Hin, it’s mostly jungle and temples. You see monkeys on both sides of the road, in the foliage, and everywhere. The median lifespan of macaques in the wild is less than 15 years (nc3rs.org.uk). In captivity, macaques can live for over 25 years. Most Thai people see the monkeys as pests because they steal their food and other belongings. Most days, you hear people clanging pots and pans around to scare them off! I got too close once and angered a macaque. It ran right at me. Macaque’s mostly eat fruit (and yes they do love bananas), but they can also eat seeds, leaves, flowers, and tree bark. I have even once seen a macaque riding on the back of a motorcycle!

Asian Elephants

If you’re going to Thailand, one of the main things to do is go to an elephant sanctuary. In Thai, elephant is chang. In Chiang Mai in northern Thailand there are loads of them, but you have to be careful that you go to an actual rescue center. There are many that claim to be an elephant sanctuary rescuing elephants from tourist attractions that treat them cruelly, but really they are exploiting them. In Thailand there is an estimated number of 3,000 to 4,000 elephants, and more than half of them are domesticated, the rest wild (elephantnaturepark.org). Asian elephants eat mainly fruits and vegetables but also eat grass. When I went to the elephant sanctuary, the hosts told us “the average elephant eats 300 pounds of food in a day”! The Asian elephants weigh 6,000 to 8,000 lbs.

King Cobra

The king cobra as some of you might know is one of the most venomous snakes in the world. I was once sitting on my deck in Thailand around the pool, and one slithered up from one of the broken deck panels. I instantly recognized its large face. I jumped up and slowly backed away. Straight away we called the maintenance staff, and, without hesitation, staff members went under the deck with only their cell phone flashlights and a stick! They found nothing but told us to look out. Luckily, we did not get a visit from the snake again. If you get bitten by a king cobra and don’t seek medical attention in an hour you will die of paralysis to the heart and lungs. It is recommended that if you see a snake in or around your property you take a picture of it and look for it on the internet. Most of the time in Thailand it is just the common golden tree snake which is hardly venomous, but it is always good to check.

Thailand is a great place to visit with loads of sightseeing activities and great food. You do need to be aware of Thai cultures and traditions so as to avoid offending. Most locals will recognize you as a tourist. There are many poisonous bugs and animals that you also need to be aware of. So, if you’re planning a trip to Thailand, do your research.

Thanks for reading!