Of Elephants and a Decade Past

I must first admit that I had been to Chiang Mai once before. That was more than ten years ago; I was barely five years old. My family went to the Mae Taeng Elephant Park during that trip, but my memories of riding the elephant there were hazy, almost dreamlike. I could only vaguely remember the wide bench strapped to the elephant’s back, its rough and hairy skin, and how gazing down from my perch made me suddenly realise that the elephant was a lot taller than I had expected.

Fast forward one and a half decades and here I am again, preparing for my second trip to Chiang Mai. This time, the trip has a different purpose. Instead of a simple family holiday, TOPS is an intellectually driven journey aimed to challenge our thinking and our ability to adjust to a foreign land. My group decided to focus our research on the issue of ivory trading and elephant poaching in Chiang Mai.

As a USP scholar, the prospect of surveying and collecting data whilst overseas excites me. I have been on family holidays, school camps, overseas community service projects, but this is the first time I am offered the opportunity to formally conduct studies in another country. This is an excellent way to gain in-depth knowledge of Thailand and its role in the ivory industry. Additionally, our group will be able to assess for ourselves how accurate online articles are about the ivory trade in Chiang Mai. From this experience, we will be able to learn how to conduct our own research and gather data independently.

In a broader context, it will also be interesting to compare the differences in culture and way of life between Singapore and her ASEAN neighbour, Thailand. Scholar or not, it is important for Singaporeans to know more about the countries in Southeast Asia, as anything that may affect these countries will definitely have an impact on our homeland. By exploring Singapore’s neighbouring countries and experiencing their rich culture, I hope to be motivated to learn more about regional and international current affairs.

Another aspect of the trip I am looking forward to will be the interaction with other people, particularly with the Thai locals and university students. As a Psychology major, TOPS provides me with the invaluable chance to experience how cultural and social differences may lead to differences in one’s cognition and values. It will be fascinating to witness psychology theories being applied in reality.

Furthermore, conversing with fellow USP batch-mates as well as faculty fellows will enable me to sharpen my mind and examine matters in a more critical and analytical fashion. Through such intellectual discourse, I hope to be able to better appreciate different perspectives and apply them in my own thinking in the future. It will enable me to become a more open-minded and yet critical student, which is vital in university.

Despite all the academic experiences I hope to gain, this trip will probably be a personal one for me as it marks a huge transition from when I first visited Chiang Mai as a child to now, when I will be visiting Chiang Mai as a young adult.

My close friend once told me that by visiting places he used to go as a child, he was able to gain a deeper understanding of how he grew up to be the person he is now. I believe that this trip will be able to do the same for me. I hope that, by revisiting the memories I had left behind in Chiang Mai when I was five, I can see how I have changed in terms of my character and goals for the future, and how I will move ahead in life with this knowledge.

When I visit the Elephant Park in a few days’ time, the elephants may cease to look as tall as before. I may have traded my childhood innocence for wisdom, my curiosity for knowledge, my wonderment for jadedness. At the end of it all, however, I hope that my past self would be proud to see how far I have come. As J.R.R. Tolkien famously said, “Not all those who wander are lost,” well, the upcoming wanderings in Chiang Mai will certainly allow me to find myself once more.