Our Arrival at BKK

It’s 6:25 AM, and we have touched down at BKK. Matt thought it was a really smooth landing, based on the aircraft stability. The sun was just barely out, and we are now starting a new day in the land of smile. The deplaning process was smooth, and we proceeded towards the passport control area. To our surprise, Victoria’s parents were waiting for her at the gate. What a surprise, she was thrilled! We started making our way to the passport control, but thanks to Victoria’s parents and their connection, we didn’t even have to wait in line. After passport control, we started picking up our bags from baggage claim, and that’s when the drama start.

Usually, I (Bay) am a pretty drama-free kind of guy, but when I was the last guy waiting for my bag, then it’s time to start asking questions. The airline representative told us that all of the baggage from flight TG 795 have arrived. I was directed to Thai Airway’s baggage claim service. I told the representative about my situation, and he left to see if he could find my bag. After 15 minutes, he came back with a bag similar to mine, so we arrived at the conclusion that the owner of this bag had left with mine. In other words, someone else had taken my bag by mistake. The next step was to fill out the paperwork, and I had provided the airline with my hotel and contact information. After that, we left to go through customs to meet our tour guide.

The custom process was painless, and we we had no issues. After exiting the area, we saw the sign for “Thai-American Young Leadership Program 2011.” Linda, our tour guide for this trip was waiting for us and greeted us once we presented our selfs as the program participants. We left the airport and made our way to our van. The van was a bit small to fit all of us and our stuff, but we were able to fit everything eventually. After loading, we left the airport to check in at Arnoma Hotel.

The drive was so surreal. We couldn’t believe that we are now here in Bangkok. Last week, we didn’t even know if we were going to be here. During the drive, we gave Sue the nickname “Hulkus” because of her incredible strengths. She showed up with a luggage that was pretty much bigger than her, and she handled the bag without any help from anyone. Amazing! So, after seeing this incredible strength, Matt had came up with the nickname “Hulkus,” which is a play on the name Hulk, like the Incredible Hulk. We also gave Victoria the nickname MVP, which stands for the Most Valuable Player. Vicky had mentioned that she was willing to be the note taker for the study sessions, and after realizing that this is such a thankless, tedious task, we thought she should be crowned as our MVP. The third nickname was for me, Bay. Even though I may not have my luggage in my possession, at least I still have my sports jacket. With that, Matt thought the name “Loop-law” would fit as a suitable nickname. This nickname translate to the english word “Handsome.” I think this is more funny than anything because this description is far from the reality. This means that we still need to find a nickname for Elnie, Matt, and Supattra.

We arrived at Arnoma hotel and found that they do not have any rooms for us until 2:30 PM. So, some of us with clothes left to the pool locker to freshen up and change. Next stop, MBK. The gang has been complaining about not having any internet access since we have landed. Matt had even mentioned that he feels “naked” without internet. So, we hope to find a sim card that we can purchase to use with our phones to make calls and access the internet. More importantly, we can start blogging! See you soon.