2. Daily Postings Assignment Chiangmai Study Trip 2015/16

University Scholars Programme

7 Jan/Day 4: CMU

It was back to work today as we slotted the fun, carefree day out yesterday in among our other Chiang Mai memories created over the previous days. Our first order of business was at Chiang Mai University, CMU, where we were given a lecture on globalization and the opportunities and challenges it meant for the…

Sinking of the Thai-tanic – Post trip reflections

I fell sick. Unbelievably sick. The doctor told me that I had a high fever temperature of 39.5 degrees, with a chance of dengue fever. I was shocked. I hadn’t fallen so sick in a very long time. Even in my army days, I didn’t experience this level of sickness nor did I ever felt…

6 Jan/Day 3: Sky high

Beginning our day at another temple, Doi Suthep, it was a chance to gain another perspective of this northern city – from the sky high peak of Chiang Mai. The dizzying steepness was a test of my balance and fear of heights, as well as leg strength in climbing the 309 steps to the temple. Today…

The Bane of My Chiang Mai Existence – Day 4

I soon found the bane of my existence in Chiang Mai: The camera battery. I never seem to be able to keep the battery alive for the whole day. Watching the battery bars diminish bit by bit on the screen was a harrowing experience, as I never knew how long the battery would last. My…

The Death of Predictability – Day 3

You can’t say you have visited Chiang Mai without visiting Doi Suthep. At least, that was what I inferred from the conversations I made with the locals. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of Thailand’s most sacred temples, represents the epitome of Thai reverence. Many of the locals continue to visit the temple to…

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…

Post-trip Reflection

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher I embarked on this trip with many preconceived notions, goals and expectations. Some were met and some were not, but regardless of this I gained invaluable lessons from all of them. In my pre-trip…