Hey DU Study Abroad Blog,

This week, we have all begun to become more acquainted with the new environment. We have been learning how to order different dishes in Thai as we also continue to learn about the history of Chiang Mai. We have visited more temples and gained a better understanding of what Buddhism in Chiang Mai looks like. We took a cooking class which was very fun because it gave us a chance to learn about ingredients that are native to Thailand and how sustainable cooking is implemented in the Northern Thailand culture. We rode along the Ping River to understand the geography of Northern Thailand. To finish off the week, today we visited an elephant farm owned by a Thai family. This was extremely fun because we got to understand how the media stigmatizes the care of elephants in sanctuaries without recognizing the biology of an elephant. Just for reference, by the way, Northern Thailand has a much different history and culture than Southern Thailand. 

Best,

Namugga Nakayiza

This was journaled while I was abroad but due to limited internet access, I couldn’t post them at the exact moment. Recorded on 9/8/23.