ICU Karen Wedding

On Friday, Misa and I went with Claire and her husband to a Christian Karen wedding in Chiang Rai. We left Friday afternoon and spent the night in a village outside of the city of Chiang Rai. We ate a delicious Karen dinner before going into the city to explore the night bizarre, which was overall disappointing and nothing comparable to the markets of Chiang Mai. We went to bed early that night so we could wake up early to eat breakfast and attend the wedding ceremony.
That morning we got up and went to a family friend’s house for breakfast. He made us ‘half farang half Karen’ food which turned out to be toast and omelet. We ate and talked while the boys became enveloped with a small group of owls in a tree next to the house. A young boy walked up to the house with a BB gun and they all took shots at the owls. They finally hit one between the eyes and it fell down dead. They said they were going to eat it but when they plucked it the bird was so small it didn't seem worth it. They kept shooting at the other owls in the tree until they hit another. They brought it over and it wasn't quite dead yet. They messed around with it for a little before pinching its throat shut. It struggled and took a long time to die.
We left soon after to return to the house and dress for the ceremony. When we got there we took our seats in a back pew. The wedding was like a typical Christian wedding. There were flower girls, and groomsmen. The bride wore the clothing of a married Karen woman with a veil. The ceremony was in both Karen and Thai. It was explained to me that the groom did not speak Karen and that the family hade taught him how to say ‘I do’ and nudged him at the appropriate time to say it. There was lots of singing, various friends and family seemed to have prepared songs and music especially for the ceremony.
After it was over we were invited back to the bride’s home to eat. We had more delicious Karen food, took some pictures, and then left for the long drive home to Chiang Rai. It was a lot of fun and I’m glad to have been able to have the cultural experience.

ICU Thoughts on Returning

The semester has come to an end too quickly. I feel that there are so many things that I have not done in Chiang Mai and now I am too swamped with work to go out and do them. When I first got here it seemed like I had an infinite amount of time to enjoy what Chiang Mai has to offer. Not only have I not seen and done many things, but now I’m too swamped with work and stressed out to efficiently plan my summer.

I have vague yet amazing plans for the summer after the Thai Studies program ends. I intend to fly to Nepal and travel through Northern India before returning to Thailand and beginning my travels through Southeast Asia. I have yet to plan, budget, and pick a return date. I feel an overwhelming amount of personal responsibility and I feel ready. Over the past year I have arranged visas, booked plane tickets, traveled solo, filed insurance claims, budgeted money, and nearly completed two successful semesters at universities in incredibly foreign environments. I have undoubtedly grown an immense amount and I feel like a new and more capable person. After all this I feel like returning home will be so simple.

But it seems strange that I will return with such a radically different outtake on life and the world. The world seems larger to me now, and I’m worried about relating to people back home in the same way. By the time I see my friends and family I will have done and seen so much I can’t even imagine I’ll be able to articulate it.

ICU

For the Thai Studies final project Evie and I have chosen to do a presentation on the role of food carving in Thai culture. We were able to include a lot of interesting information of the background of the art and how it evolved into the modern food carvings we see today. We came across (and included in our power point) a multitude of photos made for royal dinners and whatnot that were totally mind-blowing. Thais manage to make incredible ornate and complicated carvings. As an art student I find things like this inspiring and I hope to incorporate what I’ve learned into my work back home.

The best part of our project has turned out to be each (Thai Studies) student’s attempt to make a cucumber rose. We handed out knives and half of a cucumber to each Thai Studies student. We showed them a picture of the final product (a rose) and gave them one hour to complete. At the end of the hour we had each student pose with their carving. Some cucumbers came back in pieces some came back with tape others came back in a form somewhat resembling a rose. They’re all pretty humorous.

These attempts highlight the finesse and skill required to make many of the traditional food carvings associated with Thai culture. The tradition of food carving has definitely developed into an art form and is a staple Thailand’s culture and cuisine. Food carving is taught in schools and classes are offered for Thais and tourists alike. I’m glad that I have learned at least a little about this cultural art and that I will be able to take some of the carving techniques home. I hope to use food carving in someway in future sculpture projects so I can utilize my new skill.

ICU Elephants

I have always claimed that one day I would run way and become a mahout. I have always had a deep and serious love for elephants, and when it was confirmed that I would be coming to Thailand I immediately began to fantasize about personal encounters with my favorite animal.

Since my arrival I had done research on the various elephant camps and reserves in the area in hopes of finding one that would provide me with my ideal experience. I decided upon the ‘Thai Elephant Home’ and made a reservation. They did a wonderful job and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. They picked us up, we met with a couple other farang, and spent the entire day riding, feeding, swimming, and playing with the elephants. The elephants were treated well and it was a generally great day.

When I first arrived in Thailand I became acquainted with the reality of elephants within the country. While elephants are highly revered they are also utilized and exploited for money and tourism. I vividly remember seeing my first elephant in Thailand and while it was an impressive and memorable experience it opened my eyes to the role of elephants within Thailand, particularly within urban environments like Chiang Mai and Bangkok. I believe that every ‘urban elephant’ I have encountered has been under the authority of a Burmese refugee. It has been explained to me that a large number of these elephants were illegally taken from the jungle and used as a financial resource for refugees within Thailand. When I first arrived it was magical to see an elephant walking down the street and now it’s just disheartening.

ICU Bennett Response

The Bennett article which goes over the various stages of cultural interaction and adjustment classifies reactions to new cultures into a variety of stages and phases. I personally don’t believe these stages are as prevalent or inevitable as Bennett portrays them. However, I did identify with the ‘reversal’ stage and can think of a range of emotions and sentiments I’ve held told fellow farang and ultimately my own culture which reflect Bennett’s reversal phase of cultural interface.

Thailand’s rich tourism industry has created a large influx of western visitors and sojourners. I have personally encountered a large number of college age students who seem to be here just to party and not to learn or embrace anything about Thai culture. This has created a staunch contrast in my mind between the cultures and social values of Thailand and western countries. I unfortunately now find myself bothered by the presence of other farang an often mutter the phrase ‘oh man, look at all these farang dudes’. I recognize that I should be embracing my fellow travelers but I cannot shed my newfound sight of western tourist. I now completely understand the regrettable stereotype of the loud obnoxious American.

I find this to be an amazing difference in my sentiments from last semester during my time abroad in Turkey. Although Istanbul has a consistent influx of tourists, it is not anything comparable to that of Chiang Mai. Last semester when I met another American I was beyond glad to be talking to them, and instantly engaged in conversation, interested in where they were from and what they were doing in Turkey. It felt good to speak English and to be comfortably conversing with someone who has a similar cultural background. In Chiang Mai, Americans are easy to come by. I have virtually no interest in hearing (for the millionth time) about someone’s travels in Laos or the crazy nights they had in Bangkok.

Overall my cross-cultural understanding has certainly evolved. I’ve learned to identify cultural differences and to embrace them for being cultural differences. I am now less frustrated by them and more interested in the little social differences that shape our cultures. I have also learned to identify what are distinctly American idiosyncrasies and I always wonder how I would react to them as a foreigner in the States.

ICU Koh Chang

I spent the latter half of my Songkran holiday in Koh Chang. We spent a night’s journey flying into Bangkok, taking an overnight bus to Traht and greeting the next morning on the ferry to Koh Chang. Upon arrival I immediately realized that the exhausting trip to the island was well worth it. As the sun rose, the water became bluer and bluer and I began to plot dropping my bags into the bungalow and running straight for the beach.

By the time we arrived at our hostel the day’s heat was well underway and we opted to find the beach as soon as we were done with breakfast. We quickly found the beach, dropped our things and dove into the warm water. I swam for upwards of three hours, in utter bliss, and even attracted the comment of an older British woman, “you crazy kids have been in here for hours!” By the time I emerged from the ocean I was so tired I hastily passed out in the sun for an hour or two.

And woke up with the worst sun burn of my life.

The consistently painful burn across my back and shoulders didn’t slow me down, and I enjoyed my vacation to the fullest extent. I swam, ate delicious food, met cool people, and even went snorkeling which was, in my opinion, the highlight of the trip.

We arranged a snorkeling tour which took us to four different islands and diving sights around Koh Chang. Our first sight they took us to a rock formation off of a small island. They handed out the gear and we eagerly jumped off the side of the boat and into the water. The sight was filled with amazing coral, colorful fish, and other ocean life. The excitement of our first sight was unfortunately dampened when Eva emerged with a series of sea urchin spikes stuck in her foot. We pulled out the large ones, but Eva, in an immense amount of pain from the points still logged in her foot, spent the rest of the day on the boat.

I spent the rest of the afternoon jumping off the side of the boat, gazing at fish, and being generally terrified of sea urchins.

Despite the sunburn and digestive issues we all suffered, Koh Chang was an amazing trip. At times I forgot I was even in Thailand, the signs were mostly in English, farang food was prevalent, and the population of the island seemed to consist of European tourist and dark Thai men with dreadlocks. It was definitely a vacation spot, and needless to say, I was sad to return home to my little dorm room and huge pile of homework.

ICU Songkran

Songkran in Chiang Mai was totally and completely ridiculous. I had an amazing time. I think the entire city had an amazing time. We woke up Monday morning, squirt guns ready and not quite sure what to expect. We got into the sungtow and it was no more that 10 minutes into our drive when we were completely soaked. Stepping out of the car and into the traffic packed streets by Tophae Gate was like stepping into an alternative universe. The entire city was out, soaking wet, drunk, and smiling. Walking up the street we were immediately met with playful buckets of water and eager farang with huge water guns that made me remember summers in my backyard as a kid.

There was zero evidence of the religious meaning to the holiday and was very apparent that the entire city of Chiang Mai had all but forgotten the reason behind the festivities. Songkran, the Thai New Year, is supposed to be a time of renewal and cleansing of the spirit (hence the inescapable city-wide soak). A traditional instance is the parading of the city’s Buddha images so that people make sprinkle water onto them and hence clean the Buddha, receiving merit. Water was originally used as a way to symbolically cleanse and respect elders and family members by dripping water onto them. This practice evolved into the all out water wars of modern Songkran.

A celebration of this magnitude and chaos could never happen in America. There are too many restrictions and the general population is too nervous and uptight to ever let go and have that much fun. When we arrived at the airport to depart for Thailand, I remember Evie’s father explaining that ‘in Thailand, everyone just seems to do whatever they want…’ and I feel that Songkran was the epitome of this statement.

I ended the festival exhausted, drenched, and down one cell phone. I thoroughly enjoyed the festivities and hope to participate again one day.

ICU Chiang Rai Lisu Village

Our home stay in the Lisu village for Dr.Otome’s class was my favorite trip of the semester. It was good to be in a small group, and to have Dr. Otome as a guide in a place she knew so well. When we arrived you could see how happy the villagers were to have her back and they all smiled and ran up to talk to her. When all of our hosts arrived, Dr. Otome casual placed us where she saw fit. She waved me over and introduced me to a large, smiling woman name Allema and said, “She picked you so you will stay with her,” then waved over and introduced Kelly and sent us off.

Kelly and I shared Allema’s daughter’s room which was decorated in anime drawings and a large landscape poster. There was a man sitting on the floor watching TV in the living room who I assume was her husband. This man generally ignored us our entire stay and seemed to have no interest in us. I think he just left it as Allema business and didn’t want to be involved with the farang. Allema cooked us a delicious dinner, she was by far the best cook of all my home stays, but Kelly and I couldn’t help but speculate the amount of MSG she used which was the obvious reason for the scrumptiously salty taste of her meals.

The next morning Allema woke us up early walked us to Otome’s house for our tour of the village. We spent the day walking around and seeing what there was to see. We walked up to the village wat, which sat on tope of the tallest hill overlooking the surrounding area. We also saw a church and spent a few hours talking and playing with children on the playground. The day ended with a trip to a Lisu burial mound, prepping us for our visit to a funeral ceremony the last day.

The second day we all piled into a couple pick up trucks and drove to a neighboring Akha village. We ate guai tiao and visited a couple of the houses. We drove a little farther and saw a coffee factory that used the local coffee crops. They explained to us that the company was a collaborative effort, owned and run by a group of people. They also mentioned a disease in the coffee plants that was causing issues for the farmers, but the young man seemed hopeful and very optimistic of the company. On the way home we stopped in a peach orchard and ate some of the unripe fruits while we walked around.

That night we had a community dinner. It was an incredible amount of fun. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, dancing, drinking, eating, and talking. Some young girls put on a traditional dance for us, and we taught the villagers the hokey pokey- I’m not sure if they quite understood but they seemed to be enjoying it. We all danced together in a circle around two musicians playing traditional Lisu instruments, and I tried to figure out the dance steps, but couldn’t get the hang of it. Allema had dressed both Kelly and I in Lisu costume, which was a little uncomfortable, but all the other villagers kept complimenting us and telling us how beautiful we looked. I think it pleased both them and Allema to see us dressed like the rest of the villagers.

We departed the next day, saying goodbye to Allema and the other villagers. We stopped on the way home in another Akha village where we saw a spirit gate, created to keep the bad spirits out of the village. There were little helicopter figurines made out of sticks and folic symbols which Otome said there were many speculations over.

The trip was overall a great experience. It was very relaxed but fun and I feel like I learned a lot. Visiting the village put Dr. Otome’s class into perspective and it was a valuable opportunity to experience and observe the very things we ha been talking about in the classroom.

ICU Nan

Our home stay in Nan was absolutely amazing. The excruciatingly long (and nauseating) van ride was completely worth it when we finally made it to the village and I met my ‘host family’, a sweet old woman who was introduced to me as Bawh, grandmother in Hmong. I was a little alarmed when I realized that she didn’t speak either English or Thai, but was comforted by her warmth and hospitality.

I stayed in a compound with Dao, Bintou, and Rachel, we all stayed in small, one room, hut-like homes. Everyone’s families were really close with one another and it seemed like a really close community. Every ones children freely came in and out of ever ones homes and I’m still unsure which family members lived in which households, or who was directly related to who. All of the families where very friendly and made me feel at home in the community. Every night I was invited to dinner at every household and invited to come in and sit whenever I walked by.

After dinner on the first night Dao came over and I was able to get to know a little bit more about Bawh. She came to Thailand from Laos with her husband about thirty years ago; she lost two sons there before they left. She said that they had wanted to go to America but had stayed because her husband’s parents wanted them to stay closer to their way of life.

Even though we could not communicate, I had a wonderful time with Bawh. Every night we stayed up late, while she sewed I read, and we would sit outside with the other women in the afternoons. I think we were both really upset when I left. She had someone write down her address for me and I’m going to print out pictures from my trip for her and mail them the second I can. She was a really wonderful host to me and she truly made Nan a memorable trip.

Our day trip to the waterfall and former refugee camp were also great experiences. Seeing where the refugee camp was, where many of the people from the village had stayed, put into perspective the impact of the Laos-Hmong problem. It opened up a lot of interesting dialogue and on the way to the waterfall I got to hear Sheasia’s parent’s story which was really stirring.

The waterfall was the highlight of my trip. There were numerous pools of water on different levels, and the water was the perfect temperature. We all had a great time climbing, swimming, laughing, and relaxing. It was picturesquely Thailand, and the perfect end to a hot day.

ICU Language Lunch Exchange

Tuesday and Friday of this week I participated in the Language Lunch Exchange with Adjan Lexie’s English class. It was nice to be able to practice my Thai in an informal session and get to know other Thai students at Payap. Both groups of students were a little shy; I’m always hesitant to use my Thai for I never feel that I get it right. The students were very friendly and spoke pretty decent English. I even met a Turkish person, and I was excited to be able to talk to someone about Istanbul and refresh the small amount of Turkish I remember from last semester. Every day I feel like I’ve forgotten more and more as I replace it with Thai. Namely, I’ve totally forgotten how to say the number 8 which I find endlessly annoying. It’s encouraging that when I go home I’ll have Evie and her mom to practice my Thai with.
I also participated in the English Speaking Holiday and Customs class. It put a lot of perspective on cultural differences between America and Thailand. I had to sing the star spangled banner (which the Adjan had to provide the words for) and pledge allegiance to the flag, which I haven’t done since I was a kid. I also had to explain terms like ‘the wild west’ and ‘social security’. I had a lot of fun explaining my own culture to the class and it made me realize how many things I don’t fully understand about Thai culture. When I go home I am going to consider my culture and national history more thoroughly and take into account what makes America unique.

ICU Bangkok

I had an amazing time in Bangkok. I love cities and was thrilled that we were going as a group to explore Bangkok.
The night train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok was certainly an experience. If I hadn’t been there with a group of people I would have been endlessly bored, but being able to hang out and talk made the trip bearable. I didn’t sleep at all and was completely exhausted by the time we arrived at the guesthouse. We had about an hour to eat and put our things away before we left again on a canal tour of Bangkok, which in my opinion was easily the best part of the trip. We all fit into a long, thin boat which took us around the various canals and waterways of the city. It was really interesting to see the way people lived right up along the water. Some of the houses looked decrepit and were partially submerged; others were so low that the house must have been underwater the entire rainy season. At one point the boat stopped and backed up so we could have a better look at some monitor lizards hiding underneath a dock. They were huge, for a second I thought they had to be alligators.
After stopping at a museum for traditional Thai boats, we stopped again for lunch and the Museum of Siam. The museum had interactive exhibits about the history of Thailand and Siam and made for a fun afternoon.
On Tuesday we visited the Duang Prateep Foundation. They gave us a summary of the work they do there and also gave us a tour of the facilities and of the Klung Toey slums. The slums were an impressive labyrinth of shacks and alleyways. As we were walking through I felt that I could become totally lost if we weren’t guided. Everyone we passed in the slum seemed to be trying to deal with the heat. Everyone was lying down and fanning themselves trying to stay cool. I couldn’t help but wish I was doing the same thing instead of walking around in the heat.
After the Duang Prateep Foundation we went to the Bangkok Refugee Center. This was a really insightful experience for me. It put into perspective the reality of refugees not only in Thailand but throughout the world. They explained to us there work there and how they are basically a resource center for registered refugees within Thailand. In the center there were mostly classrooms and offices, there was also a small clinic where free medical attention was given. I spoke to two boys from Sri Lanka, who explained that they would never return to there home and were trying their best to assimilate to Thailand.
Friday Dr. Paul Chambers gave us a ‘democracy tour’ of Bangkok. We went around to some of the major monuments and sites where important events in Thailand democratic history occurred. The intense heat, unfortunately, was the most memorable part for me. Later that night we went to a drag show down the street from the guesthouse. I think we all had a really good time and enjoyed the show and club atmosphere.
On Saturday, our free day, Evie, Nick, Reid and I slept in before going to the J.J Market. We ate lunch (had a deliciously memorable fried chick and mango salad) and walked around the massive market. We didn’t buy anything and the heat forced us to seek refuge in the mall before we headed back to the guesthouse.

ICU English Camp

I participated in the English Camp at the primary school on Thursday and had a really amazing time. Experiences like that always remind me of how much I love kids and how great I feel spending time with them.
We all woke up early, had breakfast, and got in a sung tow to the school. When we arrived the kids (all in what looked like Cub Scout uniforms) were having their morning assembly and were singing songs and listening to announcements. Eventually they all lined up in a circle and began to march by us so that each student could individually wai us.
The kids broke up into groups to pick a team name. I was assigned to a group and was supposed to help them pick a name, but I was unsure of how much English they spoke and was hesitant to give instructions. One of the Thai girls ended up jumping in and helping them.
My camp station was ‘memory’. On cards there were words written out in English and then there was a corresponding card with a picture. I would go through all the pictures and sound the words out in front of the group so they were familiar with how to pronounce it. They were mostly actions words like ‘sing’, or ‘swim’ animal words like ‘giraffe’ or ‘camel’. They had a lot of trouble with L’s and R’s and when I tried to go over the word ‘pilot’ they kept saying ‘pirate’.
The kids all seemed really excited to be there and practice their English. They were all really polite and we had a really relaxed time teaching them.

ICU Observation Exercise

Where: The Dokmai (Flower) Festival in Chiang Mai
When: all day
Why this location: It's a typical Thai festival and tradition. I thought it would be a wonderful place to observe Thais and Thai society.

1. Make note of everyday activities of the people around you. What are people doing? For those who are working, what is their job? For those who are not working, what are they doing why are they there?...
Everyone seems generally happy and enjoying the festivities. Everyone is walking around and seeing what there is to see. People are talking, eating, shopping, and crowding around the flower displays. There are a lot of children. Those who are working are essentially all vendors selling souvenirs, clothing, food, and everything imaginable (including tiny bunnies in vests and bows). The rest of the crowd is shopping, either buying or perusing the different tables and stands and everyone seems to be enjoying the festivities.

2 . Describe something that demonstrates traditional Thai values and/or way of life, something that you would not see in your home country.
Families sitting together on mats in the park. I feel this is a great symbol of the traditional Thai family unit and the importance of family within the culture. Seeing families together is also common in the United States but I feel that there’s a greater multitude of whole families here. In the states there is less emphasis on the family unit and families rarely go out as a whole even to events like the Dokmai Festival.

3. Describe a product or evidence of ‘globalization’ that surprises you, or that you didn’t expect to see.
Sitting on top of the old city wall, there are three seven-elevens within view sight. I expected to see typical Western products and chain stores; I even expected a seven-eleven or two in the city. I did not anticipate the great presence and ubiquity the convenient store would hold in Thailand. Seven-elevens aren’t even this common in the states, but here they are a part of my everyday life.

4. Document interesting religious expressions you encounter…
I don’t see many religious expressions but, as always, there is little question that this is a Buddhist nation. There are Buddha statues in the part, spirit houses, and Buddha pendants for sale. One of the floats even has a small Buddha figure made of flowers. The Thai people really seem to embrace their religion in their day to day life and the Dokmai festival is no different.

5. Observe communication between at least two people…
Two vendors speak loudly over the crowd to each other. Their conversation is almost entirely verbal; they barely look at one another and keep their eyes on the crowds and customers. There seems to be no hierarchical difference between the two women and they speak loudly and quickly to each other, one not showing any particular reverence for the other. I assume that they know each other, there are no formalities in their communication and they don’t seem be expressing any particular forms of respect nor affection.

6. Do you see any non-Thais? Describe their behavior and key observations about their appearance…
Like most places in Chiang Mai there are a noticeable amount of foreigners here. They seem to mainly be tourists and possibly a couple ex-pats. Some look incredibly out of place and are obviously here on vacation. Like typical tourists, they wear short-shorts, fanny packs and big cameras around their necks; they generally seem excited by the festival. The locals and vendors seem to be indifferent but I see a couple of them give the foreigners particularly big greetings, either being truly friendly or hoping to make a sale.

7. Go to a magazine/newspaper stand. Decide on a particular magazine…
I feel that nearly every newspaper I have seen in Chiang Mai has a large picture of a beautiful woman on the color. I unclear as to whether these are models, celebrities, prostitutes, or part of an article. In this particular newspaper I notice a small color photo of a bloody corpse on the sidewalk. I’m taken back by this, graphic or violent pictures don’t appear on the front page in the U.S.A. The media here seems to be less censored and more willing to put such pictures alongside articles.

ICU What I expect from my term in Chiang Mai

I wasn't sure what to expect when I came to Chiang Mai. I didn't really know anything about the city or it's history. I came here with an open mind and with few expectations. Now that I've been here for a few weeks I have a better idea of what I want from this experience and a fews goals I'd like to achieve as a student and traveler.

Identify three expectations you have about your study abroad experience in Thailand:

1. To be out of my comfort zone. I knew before coming here that I would be totally out of my element, but I didn't really understand the extent until I got here. Not only is it a new culture, cuisine, and way of life, but I blatantly don't fit in. Being here as a non-asian makes me feel like I stand out an incredible amount. I feel like I will never feel like I belong here and that I inevitably will always be a farang. I find this extremely frustrating.

2. To eat weird food. I didn't think about the extreme difference of food until I got here. Suishi flavored chips are definitly something very foreign to me. I was also taken back by the perpetually spicy meals I have had. I expect to eat more and more adventurous dishes and to taste new flavors and foods for the rest of my stay here.

3. To have an overall amazing experience. So far this semester has been everything I wanted and more. I think the Thai studies program has done a great job and that three weeks into my stay here I have already had a handful of amazing experiences and encounters. I think that in the months to come I do even more memorable things and have many more meaningful cultural encounters.

Identify two goals you hope to achieve/come away with by the end of the program.

1. To learn the Thai language. This is really important to me. I have always struggled with language and it would be very meaninful to me to acomplish a basic understanding of Thai. I think it would be a wonderful thing to walk away with and an important element in understand and experiencing Thai culture. It would also enable me to feel like I fit into the culture here, and be a contributing member of Chiang Mai society instead of a tourist.

2. To have a greater understanding of Thai culture and history. I came here knowing relatively little about Thailand and it's important to me that I come away knowing more about the country. I am already starting to better understand the history and culture and I can't wait to learn more. I think Thailand is one of the culturaly richest places in the world and I'm exciting to understand it on a new level.