From skiing on snow covered mountains in Norway to partying with friends back in Toronto at the Unicorn to swimming in the Gulf of Thailand, I’ve have seen a great deal this year and had the best time doing so. I completed my Masters and have begun an international career volunteering with the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok.
I began the year in the Spanish Canary Islands off the North West coast of Africa where I had travelled to for the 2007 Christmas holidays and spent a month there. Although I spent a lot of time on the beach and had a lot of fun during the night, I still (and will always maintain) that I also did a lot of school work while there.
At the end of January I made my way back to Norway which at the time felt like I was going home. Although the weather was cold and snowy after a month on the beach believe it or not you get to miss those types of things that, because of growing up in Canada, bring true feelings of what winter should feel like. After moving in to dorm life again I quickly joined the International Student Union and with encouragement from my brother (still owe him for that advice) ran for a spot on the board. Little did I know that I would end up Vice-President. Being on the board brought with it some challenges but also more importantly it gave me an instant social life which I enjoyed very much. Themed parties, club nights, ski trips, or even just playing poker there were a lot of good memories.
On the academic side of things, my peers and supervisor were the best. Spending time in our office working on our papers was actually some of the best times spent in Norway. Lots of coffee and lots of interesting conversations every week kept the dull of research at a minimum.
At the beginning June it came time for the dissertation. For nearly a week straight I was rehearsing my presentation. Cutting out bits, adding some and practicing it over and over until I could recite it word for word while listening to loud music and walking. In the end all went well. At the time my parents were in Trondheim and although I did not allow them to sit in on the defence, I still remember having to recite my part of the dissertation to my father afterwards then having to remember all the various questions and my responses to them. In hindsight it may have been better had I let them sit in. What a journey it was to receive my Masters. It is perhaps the thing I am still to this day most proud of.
At the beginning June it came time for the dissertation. For nearly a week straight I was rehearsing my presentation. Cutting out bits, adding some and practicing it over and over until I could recite it word for word while listening to loud music and walking. In the end all went well. At the time my parents were in Trondheim and although I did not allow them to sit in on the defence, I still remember having to recite my part of the dissertation to my father afterwards then having to remember all the various questions and my responses to them. In hindsight it may have been better had I let them sit in. What a journey it was to receive my Masters. It is perhaps the thing I am still to this day most proud of.
Shortly thereafter I gave my biggest piece of luggage to my parents and head to London for just under a week. Although I had been to London before it was good to go back and see some of the sights again especially since shortly after my first trip there my camera was stolen while I was in Paris.
London was great and I had a good time but being so close to home and having been away for nearly a year I was anxious to get back and see my family and friends again.Once back in Toronto my friends and I quickly got caught up and got back to doing a lot of the things we had before. The Unicorn became “our” bar, a kind of Cheers for us. When a friend of mine from Germany came to visit it was in fact the Unicorn which I took her to first.
During the day I worked at the TD Bank while I awaited the final decision of when and where I would be placed through CANADEM. Having looked into CANADEM before leaving Norway I had my hopes set high for possibly volunteering through them with the UN and this excitement kept growing until I finally found out where I would be going and what I would be doing. In the end it was with the UNDP in the Regional Centre in Bangkok working with Pro Poor Public-Private Partnerships.
So I packed up and left Canada again not knowing this time when I would be returning.
Bangkok, Bangkok, Bangkok. There is a lot to be said about Bangkok and Thailand in general. I’ve tried to write as much of it down as I can in this blog but I feel that it is perhaps impossible to really get a true representation of the experience. Perhaps I’m just not a good enough writer and my vocabulary is too basic but I like to think that perhaps some things need to be experienced and not read to fully understand it, even if were a Pulitzer prize winner author.
Although office life is interesting and lots of very important things are happening through this office it is not what I prefer to talk about. Instead it is the night time, after work, when all of us get together on the weekend enjoy some Thai food, or if bored of that Indian is always a top pick, then venture out to the discos and bars.
On weekends or holidays there are always a group of people going to one of the popular beach destinations. Hua Hin is good but my new favourite has to be Koh Samet where I just spend the Christmas holidays. The sand is like flour and the water is a clear turquoise blue.
I am ending this year off in a place where the food is good, the people are friendly, the scenery is out of this world, and the temperature is perfect.What a year! This year like last I do not have my sights set on anywhere in particular perhaps Africa, who knows, certainly not me.
Now you will have to excuse me I have to prepare to celebrate bringing in the New Year.
Wishing everyone happiness and good health in the new year.
Andrew
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