2. Daily Postings Assignment Chiangmai Study Trip 2015/16

University Scholars Programme

5 Jan/Day 2: Blue and White

Today was a mix of blues and whites. Blue was the sky, a cerulean-cobalt endless canvas uninterrupted by any clouds. It was my favorite kind of weather too, with a chilly breeze that demanded a windbreaker (a NTU USP windbreaker that is) to keep warm, conflicting the sun that made me break into a sweat…

Calls From An Angel – Day 2

“DING DONG DING DONG Wake up call, wake up call!” exclaimed Pat, our local tour guide. Little did I know that this was going to haunt me for the rest of the trip. Like an angel descended from the heavens, her words would always herald the arrival of each location, marking the end…

Spooked out at Hotel 626 – Day 1

You know in horror movies, where the protagonist realizes that every room and hallway in a hotel looks eerily similar, but yet it gives off a creepy, sterile and inhuman vibe? And even though everything appears tidy and in order, something just seems really off? Well, I never expected to experience that myself on the…

Day 0/3 Jan: We’re here!

With my passport and boarding ticket in hand, our journey to Chiang Mai, Thailand, had officially started. Making way towards my seat, I was filled with a buzzing excitement and nervousness for the flight and adventure ahead. Two hours passed quickly and before I knew it, we had touched down in Northern Thailand with the…

Day 4 (07.01.16)

Today we went to Chiang Rai; the white temple and the black house! I now understand why all the other groups stayed a night in Chiang Rai, THE JOURNEY THERE TOOK SO LONG! Nevertheless, the 3 hour bus ride there and back was filled with fun and laughter as I talked to Vanessa and caught…

Day 3 (06.01.16)

Doi Suthep Bus rides once again! Sitting next to Son (sorry Van for abandoning you!), was such an enjoyable time. It was so interesting sharing our dreams and listening to how life is like on this side of the world. I realised how different and yet similar our societies are. Individuals living in Chiang Mai…

Day 5 // 8 Jan

The highlight of today would be the leadership activity, the Amazing Race. The post activity reflection session really helped put things into perspective, and I realized I had actually learned a lot from this simple activity. One of the major things I did today was to evaluate myself as a leader. Jason, our senior attached,…

Day 4 // 7 Jan

We went up to Chiang Rai today and visited 2 of their main landmarks, the Wat Khong Run, or White Temple, and Baan Si Dum. Prior to the trip I had searched for information and pictures of the White Temples. The pictures projected a very pure, pristine, even somewhat holy and sacred to the temple,…

Day 3 // 6 Jan

Today we visited the Doi Suthep temple in the morning, but it was a bit of a miss for me. I felt it was overcrowded, slightly too commercialized and though I may not be a Buddhist, I could not connect to the place spiritually. Some friends told me that if I had participated in the…

Day 5 (8th Jan)

Immersing in the dynamics of a cross-functional team was a unique experience. During the amazing race, each member in my team was quick to identify the gaps in our course of action and patched them before more problems manifested. I think the importance of trust cannot be overstated. Though I was in charge of navigating…