Category: Namugga in Chiang Mai

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.

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.