Category: Thailand

Hello DU Study Abroad Blog,

This week has been my break from school. We were given a 10-day long break to do whatever we liked that wasn’t related to academics. My mother came to visit me in Thailand so I took this opportunity to explore the country as a tourist with my mom. We traveled to one of the islands in the South, visited Bangkok for a day, and then got further acquainted with Chiang Mai where my study abroad program is based. This break gave me a chance to dive deeper into the Muslim community in Chiang Mai because I never got the chance to attend Friday prayers since our program always has an activity on Fridays. I enjoyed experiencing Jummah and being able to enjoy all kinds of food without the worry of consuming anything that isn’t halal at the Muslim Market near the mosque. As a Muslim, it was nice to find a community that shared my identity which I thought would be impossible considering Thailand is more than 90% Buddhist.

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 10/27/23.

Hello DU Study Abroad Blog,

This week, we received our final lectures on Human Rights & International Development. This week also included a visit to a foundation that works with people with disabilities and a workshop on consent that empowers people to say “no”. This week wasn’t as content-heavy as other weeks because we had to prepare to present our second Independent Field Research Project. We presented them to our peers and it was really interesting to hear everyone’s interests considering we were split into different sects of International Development. I presented on the accountability tactics used within Indigenous communities to maintain order among their members. I wondered what the communities’ relationship was with the police and if they had more collectivist practices to avoid getting the law involved. This was the end of our second course in the program so we received a 10-day break that started on Friday. My mother shall be joining me in Thailand and we shall be traveling to Southern Thailand. Because of our visas, students can’t leave the country or else they will have to reapply for a visa. This is different from students who study abroad in Europe. I hope my experience gives you the tips necessary for deciding your program.

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 10/20/23.