Day 5: Insights & Inspiration ?

Day 5: Our last official day begun with a visit to Chiang Mai University for an interview with two professors specializing in Elephant Tourism and Elephant Veterinary. An interesting point that the Tourism professor pointed out was that there will always be a proportion of tourists who will favour the thrill of riding on elephants or watching circus performances over concerning themselves with the ethics of these activities. This was a little discouraging to hear, as it suggests that the traditional model of elephant tourism is likely to endure through the years, since there will always be a persistent demand for it. This also means that subsequent generations of elephants will continue to be put through a cycle of gritting torture.

However, my personal outlook about elephant tourism in Chiang Mai is slightly more positive than that of the professor! From the tourists that we have talked to – in the streets, and at our hotel lobby, we have observed a trend where a significant proportion of tourists have been informed about the downsides to traditional elephant tourism, Hence, I believe that even if we cannot manage to convince ALL tourists, continual campaigns to raise awareness about the issues in traditional elephant tourism will definitely be able to shift the mindsets of MOST tourists towards supporting conservational modes of elephant tourism instead. I am definitely optimistic that in time, conservational elephant parks will dominate the foreground of elephant tourism in Chiang Mai, and traditional camps will either be reduced to the minority, or be compelled to take up healthier practices.

Through the interview, we also managed to corroborate the information that we have collected over the past few days, and consolidate any loose ends or queries that we had. It was truly a fruitful meeting! With that, we concluded our last research activity in Chiang Mai on a great note!

Next up was the leadership amazing race. Honestly, I was kind of dreading it, because I am definitely not the biggest fan of amazing races or running around and being sweaty in general. However, I actually found myself enjoying it, as the race involved a leadership twist to it, and it was actually pretty exciting trying to complete our tasks in a foreign land like Chiang Mai! We evaluated each other’s leadership styles, and I found out new attributes about myself that had never crossed my mind before. For instance, it never occurred to me that I might be good at interpersonal relations, but my group mates managed to make this observation. I wished I could have put in a bit more effort and enthusiasm for the race, because it turned out to be really helpful for self-discovery, and I’d definitely have learnt much more from the experience if I’d put in my 100% into it.

To end off our last night in Chiang Mai with a bang, we headed to a ladyboy cabaret show to celebrate the end of our trip with a round of drinks, laughter, and good entertainment! I have never been to a ladyboy show before, and I was feeling really curious and apprehensive at the same time. I was intrigued by how the show would be like, yet at the same time I was a little worried that the sexual nature of such a show might be too much to bear. The performance turned out really amazing though, and I found myself shrieking in excitement most of the time at their acts! Honestly, as someone who has spent the most part of her teenage years fretting about her appearance, it was really liberating and amazing to see how the dancers in the show carried themselves with such graceful confidence and sass. Even if they were not born biologically female, it is evident that their transformation has empowered them to live the life they desire. I really admire their confidence, and watching how they pulled off their performances with such femininity has definitely inspired me to live more comfortably in my own skin, regardless of what others may think of me.

With that, we concluded our last day in Chiang Mai. I have truly learnt a lot about myself, discovered a newfound love for elephants, and established several friendships through this trip.

Thank you for your hospitality, Chiang Mai! And thank you, USP, for giving me this precious opportunity to rediscover myself!