Survey Trips and Practical Tips

The best thing about going on a survey trip is that you get to see and experience a country and it's people first hand! You get the opportunity to observe another culture and interact with them. Another good thing is it allows you to figure out (hopefully ahead of time) what does and doesn't work in another country! Getting a grip on some of these practical things ahead of time can save you a lot of headache and heartache.

A few practical things I figured out:

Internet? I really missed this convenience when it wasn't available. That surprised me, because I am not someone who spends a great deal of time on the internet. Because I was jumping around to a variety of locations (rural, urban slums and city) the availability of wireless services was also varied. Most of the time I was unable to use my own computer, which made it very difficult to keep my supporters and family updated or to make Blog entries that documented my activities. Although people were very generous to offer use of their lines (when ever possible) it usually meant using their computers, time frames, passwords or configuration codes. Time, if any, was very limited and when and if I could get logged in, it was considerably slower. Because it was slower, everything took longer. I didn't feel comfortable interrupting my host's personal routines just to wait for information to load up. It also felt like I was being disrespectful to my hosts if I spend time trying to do any updates instead of engaging in social interaction with family members.

Cell phone service: I called ahead to find out if it were possible to receive or make calls from my Razor with my Verizon account. I was told that there would be a roaming fee, but that most of Thailand has coverage. That was not the case. Also my Razor style phone could not be adapted with a SIM card. Next trip I will consider renting or buying a cheap phone in country. Apparently they are easy to come by and then you purchase your "airtime" as you go with a SIM card. In the future I will try using the free SKYPE download for internet phone calls and communication. That seemed like a nice way to stay connected, plus you can use a camera/microphone to see as well as hear your caller.