Post-trip Reflections /หลังจาก/

It has been more than a week since flying back from Chiang Mai. I’ve slowly attuned myself to the routine of school, to the heartbeat of the new semester. Yet, Chiang Mai continues to tug gently at me, pulling my thoughts towards its charming quaintness. It has a sort of beauty in being torn between the old and the new. I miss Chiang Mai.

The unique nature of the trip played a significant role in making it a memorable one for me. First of all, the high level of flexibility during the trip made it unique. My previous experiences with school trips involved tight schedules and I learnt only through structured means. On this trip, the five groups had five different itineraries. Our vastly different activities made for an even richer experience; it felt as if I had gone on five separate trips to Chiang Mai after I exchanged stories with my peers from other groups. It was eye-opening to the power of five!

Being in a country which spoke a language that was utterly unfamiliar to me, my sensitivity to language use there was heightened. The over-eager linguist in me made few observations during the trip:

1. There are 5 intonations in the Thai language, just like how Mandarin Chinese has 4 intonations. I found it amusing how , in Thai, saying someone is pretty and wishing bad luck upon someone differ only by the tone of the word; both are spelled “suay” in English. It must have caused many misunderstandings and much anguish…
2. There are different dialects across the country of Thailand, which include variations in intonation and slight lexical differences. The younger generation, however, is no longer picking up the dialects. They are no longer as aware or as interested in these different Thai dialects. On one hand, I feel slightly comforted that this trend is not unique to Singapore. The declining status of non-standard dialects is an issue elsewhere in the world too. On the other hand, this also means that more languages are being lost all around the world. This is an irreversible loss, which is a huge pity.

In my pre-trip reflections, I expressed the thought of not wanting to travel as a tourist. Now, I think this trip has forever changed the way I perceive overseas trips. Before this trip, whenever I visited a foreign country, I would only think: “What can they offer me? What can I do here that would benefit me and enrich my life?”. But now I realize that it’s not only about what we receive from the country, but what we can bring to it. Besides our money, we bring our culture, our thoughts, our travel bucket list. Whether consciously or not, the country molds itself to become a version of what we, as tourists, want instead of what it really is like. I think it is important for us to realize the power we hold in influencing the way a foreign country presents itself to us. Also, this trip made me more aware of the underlying stories behind what is shown to us as tourists. It is interesting to understand how the country wants to be perceived by outsiders. I have learnt that there is always an agenda accompanying what we see on the surface, and to not simply take things at face value.

When I first arrived in Chiang Mai, my impression of the country was that it was a beautiful place. On the bus to our hotel, we drove past rows of shophouses that lined the town and a clear stream that encircled the city center. The sun was just setting, and the rays of light peeping through the trees and old shophouses made the streets look magical. That scene is still stuck in my head now. I was entranced by it, and all I remember thinking was just how beautiful this country was.

But now, I see the fear and confusion lying behind the beauty. There is panic in trying to preserve as much of this beautiful country as possible before time runs out, but ironically bits and pieces of it are being lost along the way. I see the heart of the people, who want to keep their country the way it was and who are thrown into confusion by the throngs of foreigners who swarm in, eager for a piece of their culture. Yet, these foreigners are the same people who are keeping their country’s economy, and consequently their heritage sites, alive. I see a heart-wrenching conflict that cannot be solved by the might of a few people alone. Perhaps the answer to this conflict is beyond us, or perhaps there is no answer at all. There can only be a continuous struggle to strike a balance between these two opposing forces.

Ultimately, I have realized that there are no answers to the issue of heritage preservation. In fact, I left Chiang Mai with more questions than I had before the trip. This trip may not have revealed the answer to the issue of heritage preservation, but it allowed me to see the sheer power that heritage holds: power to unite people, power to bring in revenue, power to subdue a community, but also power to destroy itself when used in excess against itself. Heritage is its own Achilles heel. I saw for myself the paradox of heritage preservation: it has to be diluted, packaged into smaller digestible packets, in order to prevent its complete wipe-out.

Another thought that struck me was this: we mustn’t let our heritage become more of a concern for tourists than for ourselves. We have a Chinese Heritage Centre within our own NTU campus and tourists flock over from all over the world to visit it. But how many of us are interested in it beyond using it as a backdrop for our #ootd shots on Instagram? I have to admit, I have never visited the place even though I have been on campus for a semester. It may be all too easy for us to point out the flaws in someone else’s society, but we have to bear a critical eye towards and reflect upon what is happening right at home too. Is Singapore’s heritage in a state of danger as well? If so, what can we do about it?

Academic and personal growth aside, this trip helped me to grow in my interpersonal relationships as well. I could not have asked for a better group to go on this trip with. The different personalities in my group gelled together surprisingly well and there were many spontaneous, unforgettable moments that happened throughout the course of the trip. Our adventure to Chiang Mai will always be something that ties our USP and NTU experience together. Our seniors, Soak and Joash, our CMU friend, Son, our professors, Professor Walsh and Professor Nanetti, all helped in creating a wonderful Chiang Mai experience for me as well.

Never would I have thought that an overseas trip could impact me so much. The semester wears on, but I will continue to hold onto a piece of Chiang Mai in my heart. I miss Chiang Mai.