Fieldwork and Documentation

Day 2

Today, we went to the White Temple. The temple was visually stunning. In the sunlight, it seemed as if the temple itself was shining due to all the sparkling fixtures/ decorations on it. It was extremely interesting to note from the tour guide that the White Temple is extremely young (a mere 20 years old)…

Day 1

I travelled to Chiang Rai today. My initial thoughts about going to Chiang rai was that it was simply about going along with what was on the itinerary. I admit that I did lack some form of anticipation towards Chiang Rai. However, on our way there, the tour guide explained several details that made my…

Day 5

The highlight of today would have to be the leadership race. One of the major instructions was that we could not bring any of our mobile devices such as our smart phones. Being someone who relies heavily on my smart phone, I initially dreaded the thought of not being able to have my phone for…

Day 4

Today we had the chance to go to Chiang Mai University for a lecture in the morning and some interviews and focus group discussion in the afternoon. During the lecture, we were able to learn more about the effect of globalisation on Chiang Mai where increased liberalisation has resulted in “border fluidity” where there is…

Post-trip Reflections

The USP trip to Chiang Mai was most memorable for various reasons. First and foremost, we bonded very much as a cohort, especially within our groups. My batchmates in Youth Culture were most friendly and helpful, and I was glad I got to know them better. Secondly, we got to analyse another culture rigorously, and…

Day 3

On Day 3 we had the pleasure of visiting one of Chiang Mai’s most famous temples, Doi Suthep. This temple is apparently very popular amongst locals and tourists alike, where many go there to pay their respects and pray for blessings for their health or business. The popularity of the temple was evident based on…

Day 2

On Day 2 we had the chance to visit Warorot Market in Chiang Mai to conduct our interview and surveys The arrangement was that some members of my group would conduct surveys while others would conduct the interviews with the translator. It is through this activity that I fully understood the many challenges that came…

Day 6: Goodbyes

There was nothing much to document on this day. We said our goodbyes to the CMU students, and gave Fye the notebook we had prepared. Unfortunately, since some people had overslept, we could not take a final Youth Culture group photograph before we left. Even though some of us did take a picture with Fye before…

Day 5: Lacking Leadership

We did not know what to expect in the morning. All that was in the itinerary was a vague “Leadership: Amazing Race”. There was nothing to infer from three plain words. As soon as I stepped into the room, Professor Astrid and Zachary greeted me, and initiated some small talk. I was visibly uncomfortable, I…

Day 4: Parallels

Chiang Mai University was set in Chiang Mai, near notable places like Maya Mall and Nimmanhaemin Road. We went for the lecture on Chiang Mai and globalisation. The lecturer was well-informed, and my group jumped at the opportunity to interview her after the lecture. Just as I was about to ask for examples where the…