Pre-Trip Reflection: A new beginning

As Lao Tzu puts it, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” In order for great changes to be made, I believe that we need to make the first move to achieve what we want to achieve.

As an NTU USP scholar, I feel extremely thankful to be given the opportunity to explore the lush green countryside of Northern Thailand – Chiangmai. I have been to other parts of Thailand before, such as Bangkok, Hatyai and Krabi, all for leisure and recreational purposes. I did interact with the locals, but merely through sentences like “How much is this?”, “Cheaper please!” and “Can you help us take a photograph?” They were mainly conversations without much meaningful purposes, and did not seem to enrich any of our lives even though I did feel a sense of satisfaction whenever I successfully bargained for lower prices.

Through this trip, I believe that it will expose me to the seriousness of the real-world problems that have surfaced, and instil in me a sense of responsibility to bring about greater improvement to others’ living conditions. Quoting Neale Donald Walsch, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Having been to Thailand only for holiday purposes, I am quite excited for the study trip, especially after hearing my group’s topic – sustainability. The first thing that came to my mind was on conserving the environment and protecting the national heritage. Yet, upon receiving feedback by our professors, my group will be exploring the topic on wildlife protection, in particular elephants which are viewed as sacred, religious figures among the locals.

By identifying the areas of focus for my group’s topic, I feel that I will be able to better approach the locals and tourists in a more likeable way. Hence, this will allow me to strike more meaningful conversations, reach out to them and witness the full story of the poaching situation in Thailand. However, as we attempt to interview the elephant park rangers and ivory sellers, I can imagine my members and me getting chased by them. Although there seems to be some risks and dangers involve, it actually motivates me to venture into areas which have yet to be delved into. At the same time, I believe that this experience will instil greater sense of leadership in me – to lead my members into doing the appropriate things at the appropriate timings.

As a Singaporean, I have grown up in a sheltered environment. With an effective government, I do not have to worry about major problems bombarding the country, such as how illegal poaching has affected the population of endangered animals. As such, I seem to have taken for granted the fact that other countries may not necessarily share the same luxury as I do. Through this intercultural exchange, besides increasing my civic and ethical awareness, I believe that it will allow me to gain a broader worldview – to interpret things beyond what is found over the internet and on books. It is the best time for me to explore, to observe through my eyes, to diversify my values and thoughts and most importantly, to discover my purpose in life. Also, since I have been living my life in comfort, I feel more motivated to address the issues that need to be resolved.

Furthermore, as my group members come from various disciplines, l look forward to seeing how we can combine all our strengths and ideas to implement solutions beneficial for our cause. I feel that this will be a great opportunity for me to develop and enhance my interpersonal and social skills as I work with my members and also students from Chiangmai University. It also prepares me for the future, when I will be reaching out to different groups of people from different countries in a foreign environment, and hopefully gain greater respect for other cultures. Although conflicts are bound to arise, this trip reminds me to see things beyond the surface – to identify the good in others – as mentioned by Henry Miller, “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Hence, by learning how to work together harmoniously, it is without a doubt that we will be able to overcome our differences.

Since this will be my first time travelling overseas to gather information about my research topic, it feels very unfamiliar to me. This is because I am too used to relying on the internet for information. By approaching strangers who come from all walks of life and speaking to them, I am grateful for the opportunity to listen to their point of view, which is rarely heard. It will be a fulfilling experience for me, despite the need to overcome the language barriers, for it forces me to step out of my comfort zone and put myself in others’ shoes. I do hope that my group and I will be able to make a difference – to convey our message to the public successfully and create impact in real life – unlike previous projects that will only remain on paper.

Besides, the whole trip will encourage me to become more independent and focused, where I have the responsibility to carry out my work duties whilst having fun. While I do wish to learn how to communicate with the locals in basic Thai throughout this trip, I do hope that our interactions with them will trigger some thoughts and emotions in them – to become more aware of the severity of their actions. In addition, I feel that the experience that I will gain from this trip will constantly remind me that the world does not simply revolve around me alone. According to Gustave Flaubert, “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” With a total of more than 7 billion people on Earth, every human being is present to make the world a better place. While there is a need to embrace the rich diversity of the human experience, I believe that there is a greater need to preserve our current heritage so that future generations will get to experience what we have gone through. All in all, this trip will be a meaningful one. 🙂