Post-Trip Reflections

Setting foot back onto Singapore ground, with the ever-welcoming and familiar Changi Airport, rouses some kind of nostalgia in me. It feels good to be home with all the familiar sights, and not worrying about being lost in a foreign city. Or at least it seemed to me this way? This trip to Chiang Mai has really changed my perspectives about certain issues. I had a negative mind-set about visiting cities that are not as developed as Singapore, or cities that lack the infrastructures and accessibility as compared to Singapore. But after this trip, I realised that lesser developed cities have their own charm and this rustic feel might be the thing that makes people coming back for more. As superficial as I may sound above, I am truly glad that I got the chance to visit Chiang Mai.

I had some chances of interacting with the Thai youths when my group were collecting survey data. Though there were language barriers and a lot of signage used by both parties due to the language barriers, they were very helpful and enthusiastic in assisting us to collect the survey data and they would always have a smile on their faces. I wonder if this has to do with their cultural upbringing. No wonder Thailand is referred to as the ‘Land of Smiles’. I felt welcomed even though there was language restrictions. This might be something that the youth in Singapore can learn from. Maybe that the idea of helping people is not so ingrained in our culture as compared to Thailand?

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself on this trip, where I got to make new friends and foster stronger bonds with the ones I know. Also, the temples in Chiang Mai are amazing. I could stand there and admire their temples all day. With such a deep history behind most temples that I have visited, it feels like I was transported back in time. We are viewing the same things (less the repairs and refurbishments) as the people of the past! Somehow we are all connected by being at the same place, although in differing time period.

I had a few firsts in this trip to Chiang Mai, such as going for my ‘first’ Thai massage, doing something spontaneously instead of planning out the journey, going for adrenaline pumping activities which I doubt I would have done if I were in Singapore. This trip has taught me to be more flexible in my planning and sometimes the best things are the things that are done spontaneously.

Nonetheless, I have also learnt the basics of fieldwork documentation on this trip and how to conduct surveys in a crowd that is of another culture and language from the one that I am used to. How to make use of observer information, interviews and survey to show evidence of a certain trend or a phenomena.

I can’t emphasize this enough but I’m truly glad that I was able to experience all the things aforementioned.

Au Revoir, Chiang Mai.