Letters to Oakley
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S ince the first West of Campus was published in October, we have received some responses from the readers. Oakley finally realized that she should share those kind words with the online readers.

Some of the "letters" came directly to our email address at westofcampus@yahoo.com, and I had the pleasure of answering them right away. Some snail mail went to Femme's office at The Nation which were then published in Femme's We've Got Mail section. Unfortunately, Oakley doesn't have a mean to answer them. Except to do it here.

(And of course, YOU can leave you responses right here on the website. Just go to our Guestbook and type away!)


WOC MAILBOX

  • Chaiyot (Tum) from Chiangmai wrote:
    I 've read your artical with the title, A Resolute Makeover. [That's New Year Makeover for you online folks.] I like it so much. It made me think about myself or my life. Something like that. I'd like to study in the States if I had more money. I want to broaden my view and to find another point of view. But the problem is money because living cost there is high. Now I have a chance to ask you about student life. Could you explain it to me? Thank you.

    Yours sincerely.

    Oakley says: Sure thing! There are some ways around the cost of studying abroad. Picking the location of school does play a role. Some places have cheaper cost of living than the other i.e. pricey New York City v.s. cheapo Oklahoma City. Attending community college for the first two years (an associate degree) before transferring to bigger university to finish off saves a lot of money also. Scholarships and grants are big help. On campus jobs are available. And for graduate students, being a Teaching Assistant (TA) helps with money and much more.

  • Sajid Bhombal from Rayong wrote:
    I am an Indian working in Thailand for last 7 years. I read your coumn 'A Lesson in Tolerence'. Excellent piece.

    Although the article is written for asian students going for further studies in west, I think the essence of what you have written is applicable even in the general circumstance. And you have written it so well.

    The world is becomig a smaller place and there is going to be more and more inter-action between people of different nationalities, races and cultures. Well written and well presented column.

    All the best for your studies.

    Oakley says: Thank you so much, Sajid, for your kind words :) "Lesson in Tolerance" a hard piece to write really. It was one of the first articles I wrote, but I have re-written it several times. Sensitive issue, no doubt.

    It seems to me that Thai people in general are subconciously ignorant. We seem to understand others well, and don't mind the differences. But on the other hand we joke about those people. Even in good intention, sometimes they forgot about that when they are in the U.S., and someone either gets hurt or offended. I figure someone has to talk about tolerance a bit.




    WE'VE GOT MAIL

  • In Jaunary 6, 2001, issue, Chulada Scott from Bangkok wrote:
    I'm sure many parents with children at college in the US will find Oakley's column "West of Campus", very helpful especially during the early adjustment stage. I only wish I'd come across her column earlier.

    My daughter is curently studying at a university in the US. At the beginning her school arranged for her to stay at an apartment complex (not a dormitory). She speaks fairly good English so she didn't have communication problems. Luckily she's also quite an independent person and isn't afraid to speak her mind.

    Her roommates were older than her and seemed to be well settled into life in the States. But then problems arose. Once of the girls sneaked in her boyfriend and allowed him to sleep over. Another roommate--to our great distress--"borrowed" my daughter's credit card number to buy merchandise (we only found this out much later). A third girl asked the others to turn a blind eye (it's against the rules you see) so that she could keep a cat in the apartment. None of them did any housekeeping and dirty dishes were regularly left in the sink. So my daughter requested a transfer. But this took some time because she had to wait for a vacancy to come up.

    Then, to top it all, the school raised the rent after a year. This kind of thing seems to happen a lot in the US. Now, my daughter is renting an apartment with a few Asian friends. But moving house--as we quickly found out--can be both troublesome and expensive; my daughter had to go apartment hunting after school, then pay a big deposit, hire movers, buy furniture and apply for a telephone. And we have no guarantee that the landlord won't increase the rent after her one-year lease comes to an end. Does Oakley have any pointers regarding apartment hunting in the Los Angeles area?

    Oakley says: I think I'll write about house hunting soon before school starts again! But just a few pointers for now. Check out your area very thoroughly. A nice and quiet neighborhood mignt not be as safe as it might look. Stick with the one-year lease over month-to-month. Call up friends instead of hiring movers. Have a garage sale before AND after the move. Ohhh so much more tips to come!

  • In March 31, 2001, issue, Malinee Pattaranukul from Bangkok wrote:
    "West of Campus" column (by Oakley Phromyothi) has been a godsend. My daughter has been clipping out the column in case it might come in handy when she goes to the US next school year.

    Oakley says: Thank you for your kind word! This is what WoC is for...to serve and to give advice!

  • In July 7, 2001, issue, Emily Bunnag from Bangkok wrote:
    Oakley Phromyothi is a real inspiration. My son is now studying in the US and like most Thai students, he tends to mix with other Thais due primarily to language difficulties. I think reading Oakley's column (West of Campus) will help him widen his horizons by mixing with other nationalities. The peice headlined "Smells like Team Spirit" and "A Time to Give" were her most interesting pieces to date. I have sent these articles to my son and hope he will be encouraged to be more active in school.

    Oakley says: Once again, I'm glad that the articles do what they are intended to do :)

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