1. Pre-Trip Projections Assignment Chiangmai Study Trip 2015/16

University Scholars Programme

Pre-Trip Relfection!

Carpe Diem. Or more simply put – You Only Live Once. I love traveling. Like a caged bird that yearns for the clear blue skies, traveling has been liberating and even therapeutic for me. Observing local culture, learning about the traditions and history that each place offers, and interacting with the locals – It continues…

Pre-Trip Reflections

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…we ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous, actually, who are you not to be…your playing small does not serve the world…we are born to make manifest the glory of god that…

Pre-Trip Reflections – Stephanie (Heritage)

I’m in awe of how things work, be it how society shapes us as individuals or how as individuals we shape society. I’m amazed by intercultural differences and similarities. This trip gives me the opportunity to experience Thai culture in a less commercialised way. It allows me to understand in interact with the locals and…

Pre-Trip Reflections

“Initial thoughts” Like the others in my USP batch, I was more than happy to embark on this unique experience, live in a new country, meet new people and integrate into and appreciate the culture that Chiang Mai has to offer. Through TOPS in Chiang Mai, one would begin to learn to appreciate the little…

Pre-trip Introspection

Bat Man, Ophrah Winfrey, a wide-eyed youth going on a community service for the first time? What do they all have in common? A savior mentality. I think many of us (privileged Singaporeans), myself included, find that we are entitled to take on a savior mentality when venturing into a less developed society – as…

Pre-trip Projections

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” I stumbled upon this quote by Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, and thought it spoke volumes to me. Mixed feelings abound in anticipation of the coming trip to Chiang Mai, the most significant of which is trepidation. I have never conducted…

Pre-Trip Projections

Pre-Trip Projections Going abroad, to me, should not simply be for the purpose of leisure or sightseeing. Rather, we should also take our overseas travels to be an opportunity to discover the world around us beyond the confinements of our existing knowledge. Given the research-based nature of this overseas trip, I believe I can acquire…

Pre-Trip Projections

As a student majoring in Sociology, TOPS is particularly meaningful as the immersive intercultural experience allows for the effective study of society and social behaviors. The trip to Chiang Mai offers an exquisite opportunity for the first-hand exploration of culture in Northern Thailand with plenty of room for sociological inquiry. More specifically, I am eager…

Pre-trip Projections

Amongst the many opportunities available to USP students, the freshmen overseas learning journey is considered a highlight to me. Going to Chiang Mai will prove that the USP is more than just a fancy title for a cohort of students taking exclusive classes across the liberal arts curriculum. Like many other Singaporean students, a large…

Pre-trip Projections /ก่อน/

The main issue that my group will be looking at is how to attain and preserve the delicate balance between heritage preservation and modernisation. This is a problem that every country faces, but it is especially prominent an issue in Thailand’s cultural hub. Chiang Mai is a city that has been left relatively untouched by…