Category: Asia

Hello DU Study Abroad Blog,

This week, we returned from the village and we started seeing what the rainy season truly means in Thailand. It is pouring like crazy! The markets have been super fun to visit because there are so many different kinds of food to taste and indulge in. All of it is yummy! We had our Independent Field Research Project presentations today. All the students studying in the program talked about their curiosities in front of their peers and the staff at the institute. It was truly fascinating to hear the way everyone got to learn about the topics that intrigued them. Some of these topics included Buddhism, Markets, Jazz Music, and even Thailand’s Public Healthcare. Everyone was required to have conversations with local Thai people for their project and present their findings in under five minutes! That was the end of our first course in this program.

Best,

Namugga Nakayiza

This was journaled while I was abroad but due to limited access to the internet, I couldn’t post them at the exact moment. Recorded on 9/22/23.

Hello DU Study Abroad Blog,

This week, we visited a mountain, Doi Suthep, which is very important in Northern Thai history because it has a temple at the top which was built in honor of a very pious monk named Kruba Srivichai. As students, we also began working on our first Independent Field Research Projects which required that we engage with people in Thailand and allow our curiosity to drive our research. This project involved speaking with locals and holding interviews relating to topics that we were curious about in Chiang Mai. Some students did their projects on the religious scene while others did theirs on the music scene among many other topics. We had another field study at a mosque which helped us further understand the meaning of religion within Thailand. Lastly, we are now having our first village stay in a district just a little bit outside of the city. Here, we are living with host families for 2 nights and 3 days. We will get to be involved in activities like cooking and weaving. Our very sweet host families are answering the many questions our curious minds have. 

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 9/15/23.