Pre-trip Reflections

Being a part of NTU’s USP has undoubtedly been an enriching and fulfilling experience for me thus far. I feel incredibly grateful that I’ve been given an opportunity to travel to Chiang Mai with my peers to learn more about the country’s rich heritage.

I’m part of the Heritage group, and we’ve been tasked to research on the contention between Chiang Mai’s continuous modernisation and her traditional heritage. I don’t mean to sound like an overly eager student, but I really do appreciate our research topic. In my opinion, most of us probably perceive modernisation to be a positive and beneficial process, often neglecting our traditional roots, or even perceive it to be ‘in the way’ of the new. We fail to fully appreciate long-established cultures and hardly hesitate supporting plans for modernisation. Hence, I am curious to learn about how Chiang Mai’s heritage is being actively preserved in defence of seemingly endless calls for progressive development. More than that, I am keen to learn how a balance can be achieved between preservation and modernisation- the past and the future 🙂 In addition, I am excited to visit key landmarks in Chiang Rai, such as Wat Rong Khun, otherwise known as the ‘White Temple’. I have always been interested in architecture and design, so being part of the Heritage group is definitely a bonus since it is aligns to my interests! 😛

As a USP scholar, I have high hopes that this trip would definitely enhance my own awareness of the diverse cultures around me. Being immersed in a culture other than my own would enable me to become more sensitive to the needs of others. Rather than negatively perceiving the differences I have with others, I hope to become more empathetic and appreciate such differences instead 🙂 Furthermore, I hope to develop my teamwork skills and learn how to better respond to the varied work styles of my teammates 🙂 After all, we are all working towards a common goal, and that is to learn about Chiang Mai’s heritage and deliver a great project at the end of the day. Last but definitely not the least, I hope to become more outspoken and confident in sharing my own opinions and ideas, and not be afraid of the judgement I might receive from others. I know that there will be a language barrier between me and the Thais, but I’m sure that I’ll be able to overcome this challenge and be daring enough to ask the questions I have, and speak my mind.

On a more personal level, I can’t help but feel nervous about the upcoming trip. Its only less than 3 days away before we fly off to Thailand. That’s so soon! Its been too long since I’ve travelled out of Singapore, what more gone overseas for a study trip. Besides that, it’ll be the first time travelling overseas with my USP friends. Many have told me that you never really know your friends till you travel with them, or stay with them for a long period of time. Is that really true? I see your true colours shining through~ Haha! Jokes aside, I’m sure that we’ll all get to know each other better, and harmoniously unite as a USP batch 🙂

Thank you for reading this, have a lovely day ahead! 🙂