Fieldwork and Documentation

Day 2 (5 Jan) Reflection

5/1/16 The highlight of today was our visit to the White Temple in Chiang Rai, also known as Wat Rong Khun. The weather was great for sight-seeing – a little chilly with gentle breezes. There was not a cloud in the light blue sky. Wat Rong Khun appeared before us from afar in all its…

Post-trip Reflection

As I re-read my writing before the trip, I’m grateful for how things have turned out. Chiang Mai has shown me its many facets, and still I believe there are more if only we had more time to discover them all. I will miss the bustling night markets, the visits to magnificent temples which are…

Day 5 (8 Jan) Reflection

8/1/16 I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but amazing race was kind of amazing. I have never been an amazing race person, because it tends to be long, with most members in a team worn out at the end of the day. But this one was different. The race lasted only two hours long,…

Day 4 (7 Jan) Reflection

7/1/16 We are back to business, going early in the morning to the Department of Family Medicine at Chiang Mai University (CMU) to interview the doctors there about nutrition labelling and smoking. Our interview further confirmed the dismal situation whereby nutrition labelling receives little attention in the average Thai’s daily life, and many find the…

Day 3 (6 Jan) Reflection

6/1/16 Cardio workout is not my cup of tea. The day began with us climbing 306 steps up the famous Doi Suthep Temple. We were breathless even as we joked about how much we overestimated our physical fitness. But it was only terrible up until we reached the top and realized we made it. I…

Day 1 (4 Jan) Reflection

4/1/2016 Today the real work began. Early in the morning, we journeyed for three hours from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. There was little time before the expected arrival of the doctor we would interview, so we were each given a lunchbox – an eclectic mix of hard-boiled egg, deep-fried chicken, banana, muffins, and sandwich….

Post-trip Reflections

The short five day trip to Chiang Mai has concluded, and I returned to Singapore with much more than I went with. Not merely returning with insanely cheap shopping loots, I returned with a whole load of invaluable experience. I gained intangible skillsets such as greater confidence and an inquisitive mindset. I gained a deeper…

Day 5 // 8 Jan

While I was happy to return to Singapore in less than a day, back into my comfort zone with faces and surroundings I am familiar with, I miss being immersed in a foreign land, hearing people communicate in a foreign language, I miss the feeling of not knowing what to expect every day. And most…

Day 4 // 7 Jan

The 3h bus journey to Chiang Rai was definitely not the most comfortable or pleasant ride as the bus wheezed past uneven roads. Nevertheless, what awaited us at Chiang Rai definitely made the torturous bus ride worth it. Our first stop was the most beautiful temple I’ve ever seen – the White Temple. With its…

Post trip- reflection- An indelible highlight

The trip to Chiang Mai was truly an enriching experience. I did not expect to learn so many new things and more than that, I did not expect to have so much fun with my group mates. In my pre trip reflection, I did not mention that I was a little nervous about going on…