Fieldwork and Documentation

Day 3: run them red lights

Three hundred and six steps later, we arrived at the Doi Suthep temple. It was packed with tourists which contributed to the lively atmosphere. We roamed around the perimeter of the temple and managed to catch a few pretty sights. It was a pity that the sky was a little cloudy which hindered our view…

Post-trip reflections

I shall start by saying how much I truly miss my time in Chiang Mai. As the semester starts and things get a little more hectic, I long for the enjoyable times that I had in Chiang Mai with the rest of my batch mates. I believe one of the most important things that I…

Day 2: white temple, new friends

In full on crisp clean white, we were greeted by the pristine Chiang Rai White Temple upon getting off the tour bus. It was quite a sight as I usually associate temples with colours like orangey-brown, red and so on but right here in front of me, stood a temple that was all white which…

Day 1: And the journey begins

Vegetations, mountains and houses stretched out across miles and miles of roads. Every moment is seemingly different, every blink of an eye presents you with a new view. I am glad I managed to catch a few beautiful scenes during the bus trip to Chiang Rai amidst the snippets of naps I took. I have…

TOPS Day 4: Legs Day

Our first stop was at the School of Family Medicine, Chiang Mai University, where we were given the opportunity to interview two doctors. The doctors gave us first-hand knowledge of his experience working with patients, important statistics pertaining to nutritional knowledge and the various campaigns that are currently implemented in Chiang Mai. The success of…

Day 0+1

DAY 0 I love taking airplane rides, being in the clouds and looking down at all creation. I reminds me of how amazing and intricate the world we live in is. The meticulous detail in how the mountains fold and how the rivers meander, keep me in constant awe and wonder. I look at the…

TOPS Day 3: The Importance of Company

It was yet another early morning bus ride, but this time, we were travelling up a mountain to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a temple located within the Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, and is also a sacred site to many Thai people. As we started with a walk up the 300 steps of the intricately carved…

TOPS Day 2: Immersion & Assimilation

Another early morning start and we’re headed back to Chiang Mai. On the way back, we made a stopover at the Wat Rong Khun White Temple for some cultural immersion and learning about Chiang Rai’s heritage. As we checked back into Le Meridien Hotel, our tour guide Pat brought us to Warorot Market, where we…

TOPS Day 1: First Impressions.

Chiang Rai. We were up bright and early as we boarded the bus yet again for the 2-hour journey to Chiang Rai. After an hour or so of driving, we stopped by at a local Chiang Rai hot springs for a short toilet break and to stretch our legs. I managed to get my first…

Post trip reflections – Lessons in Chiang Mai

Picture of Healthcare group in CMU, picture credit: Ng Xinyu To briefly sum up my pre-trip reflections – I wanted to become more open-minded, I wanted to gain good exposure in research and I wanted to improve my interpersonal skills. Besides that, I hoped to make new friends in Chiang Mai. Now that I’ve been…