2. Daily Postings Youth Culture | Fieldwork and Documentation

University Scholars Programme

day five: lateness, liability, lasts

Last full day in Chiang Mai did not start off well. I was late for leadership programme this morning :(. I was too caught up in editing my photos from the previous day that I only went to bed at 3.30 am. I did set my alarm, but I was too tired to hear it. I…

day four: data collection, discussions

Today we visited Chiang Mai University (CMU), where we planned to get the most work done – our surveys, interviews and focus group discussions! (convenience sampling :P) On the previous days where we conducted street interviews and surveys, we came to realise that university students normally choose to major in a subject area which they…

day three: stunning views, snapshots, slow walks

Today, we visited Doi Suthep. According to Mr Happy, the journey from the foot of the mountain to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was 11km. Long ago, when the temple was first constructed, the people had to walk 11km by foot to the site of the temple. In those days, there were no surfaced roads…

day two: white temple, white papers

The next morning we set off early (once again) and headed back to Chiang Mai. After exhausting ourselves the day before, we all slept on the journey back to Chiang Mai. Along the way, we stopped at the White Temple, a tourist attraction in Chiang Rai. The place was so pretty that any where you…

day one: surprises, stunning scenery

First proper day in Chiang Mai, we headed off early in the morning and started our journey to Chiang Rai. On the way we stopped at a hot spring, took a toilet break, walked around the area and basked in the magnificent view and warm sunshine. We then continued our way to Chiang Rai, while…

Day Five – Don’t be a Kopi cat, be a leader!

That is the motto my group came up with during the Leadership Amazing Race and we decided that being punny is an essential and necessary skill to be a leader. Actually I did not expect much from this race, because of the short duration. Yet unexpectedly, it proved to be an excellent opportunity to learn…

Day Four – 1000฿ for me??

The only bright (and red) side of doing a research on smoking is that we get to visit shady red light districts. I have to first clarify that we only did observations and none of our boys got naughty. It was indeed an eye-opening experience, though we did not enter the shops and only…

Day Three – Wat Phra That

Today we climbed 306 steps to the temple. Thai Buddhism practices are really interesting and I love how the entire country respects the religion. It gives a strong sense a culture and tradition and together, a set of norms for Thais to follow. These includes respecting monks in orange cloak and not to take photo with the…

Day Two – Because I’m a girl

When was the last time you had the feeling that you should not do something because you are a woman in your society (and for the men out there, the last time you had the feeling that the woman should not do something in your society)? Well, it had been a long while since I had that notion….

Day One – A Slap in the Face

It was only day one and it is time to change our research question completely. It was only day one and our impression of Chiang Mai and Thailand is completely shattered. Even though we had noticed it the night before, we only came into acceptance with the fact that Thais do not smoke much, at least…