Pre-trip Projections
“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” I stumbled upon this quote by Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and thought it spoke volumes to me. Mixed feelings abound in anticipation of the coming trip to Chiang Mai, the most significant of which is trepidation. I have never conducted research overseas. Chiang Mai is a foreign land, with foreign people, and that can be a little scary. I am used to Singapore’s local scenes and the languages we share. At the same time, I wish to grow deeper in the knowledge of different cultures and societies, so I know I cannot let my fears stop me.
Some of the things I wish to develop as an NTU USP scholar boil down to what it is to be human. I hope to become more open-minded, closeted as I am in Singapore’s comfortable environment. I believe it is human to want to understand things. I want to understand what it is like to live in Chiang Mai, bereft of the many comforts that Singapore’s first world status affords. I hope to cultivate the broad-minded understanding of the culture in Chiang Mai, of the challenges the locals hurdle against in their everyday life, and the myriad social norms. I wish to understand the similarities we share.
I hope to have my biases challenged in Chiang Mai. Sometimes I can become complacent in my predispositions. As a USP scholar, I wish to develop my ability to second-guess my assumptions and to listen to the opinions of others. Working in a team of five, I will be surrounded by bright USP scholars who will challenge me both intellectually and mentally. I hope to return from Chiang Mai a person changed for the better.
I have been to Chiang Mai on vacation with my family, during which we toured the sights and tasted the flavours of the local scene (especially the food!). To be in Chiang Mai for work and not play will undoubtedly be a novel experience, but I believe it will complement my education in Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. One of the main takeaways I have gained from my course in Communication Studies is I must have some knowledge of my social context to be an effective communicator. I must first understand the cultural norms to communicate in a suitably appropriate manner. Therefore, I hope to nurture the skill of communicating effectively in a foreign environment like Chiang Mai, where the language barrier will pose a daunting challenge. Thankfully, communication is not always strictly verbal. I hope to be able to learn the art of communicating non-verbally with the locals.
The media deliverable my group has chosen to do is a video documentary. I am nervous and excited at the prospect of filming a documentary about Chiang Mai, as filming is a prospect I wish to further my studies in, in the future. I hope to gain some lessons from filming in Chiang Mai.
Conducting research is a huge question mark to me. This trip to Chiang Mai will not only open my eyes to the nuances of giving interviews and collecting information, but also teach me the skills I need to be a more effective researcher in the future.
Perhaps my greatest fear is being unable to meet the expectations I have outlined in this Pre-trip Projection. However, I know this trip will be an unforgettable experience and I hope to come out of this a better person! I shall put aside my fears and give it my very best.