Pre-Trip Reflections

The fieldwork and documentation project we are undertaking during this trip requires us to think critically about how political, socio-economical and cultural issues are linked, and how these influence life in Chiang Mai. These links are usually taken for granted when we observe changes in our own context. I expect that this trip will be eye-opening in this aspect, enabling us to understand life in Singapore in a more insightful manner. I hope to gain a more holistic awareness of the situation in Chiang Mai, as well as a greater discernment of my own country and other countries when I have the privilege of travelling in the future.

This is a rare experiential learning experience that not many are so privileged to have. The chance to explore overseas with a group of fellow USP students is not something that every university student has, and I feel that the greater understanding and appreciation of the community outside of the small bubble that I am familiar with will be very beneficial to my education. Also, seldom do students get a chance to apply the skills that they have learnt in a real-world setting, not to mention under the guidance of experienced faculty.

Furthermore, the fact that we will be in close contact with members of the local community, not only those that are directly related to the issue at hand but our peers in the foreign community, will help to foster greater knowledge and understanding of the realities of life as members of other cultures. We will better understand the ways they are adapting to changes in the geopolitical environment of the region while still remaining in contact with their cultural heritage.

We can expect to learn from the new situations that we will be put in over the next few days. Be it overcoming language barriers to befriend strangers, trying to make an interviewee we have just met feel comfortable enough to answer our questions on camera, building rapport with focus group participants, the trip will be an excellent aid to the development of our interpersonal skills as we struggle to glean authentic insights into the truth of their situation.

In my opinion, the greatest takeaway will be the opportunity to live and spend a few days in a foreign context. Such intercultural experiences are key in developing global literacy, which is ever so important in the age of globalisation. We need exposure outside the little bubbles that we know so well, in order to understand not just the global systems and relationships that influence the lives of people around the world, but also to understand our roles and responsibilities in this world.

As a psychology student, this trip is an opportunity to learn more about the human psyche. In understanding and empathising with the locals, I will have to explore the thought processes and motivations of individuals who have grown up in very different surroundings from people that I am used to engaging with. This is in contrast to the more superficial interactions that I have with locals in a foreign land when I am on family vacations. Such an opportunity will prove to be valuable, since my understanding of people and their behaviour is actually very limited to my own community, and that there is so much more out there to experience and discover.

Personally, I hope that this trip will allow me to develop closer ties with the other members of my group, and towards USP as a whole. Having missed the USP FOC, I see this as a good opportunity to get to know the peers that will be by my side throughout our years of study in NTU and in USP.

Perhaps as a whole, this trip will bring me a step closer to becoming a Global Citizen. On the more basic level, this trip will teach me both to interact with people from other communities and understand the social, economic, political and cultural issues underlying life in other societies. On a deeper level, it is an opportunity to experience and build a connection with my peers in Chiang Mai, as well as to empathise with the people – not just know what they are going through but feel it too. This is ever so relevant in the age of Globalisation, where our world is developing into a more global society. We have the means to be a part of the global community, where our understanding is not limited to our own societies, and the responsibility we feel is also extended to the issues we observe worldwide. It is only with global literacy that we are empowered to effect positive change.