Thai study abroad profiles

I embarked upon a joint honours degree in International Development and Thai and South East Asian studies having never before been to Thailand. Questions such as "what if I don't like… the country, people, culture, life so far from home etc?" occasionally entered my head in the weeks and months in the run up to my departure from the UK. In hindsight, I had nothing to worry about. From the moment I arrived in Thailand I had a captivating and brilliant adventure made up of so many unique and rewarding experiences, I feel like I've learnt more about myself, Thailand, the diversity of life and the options available to me in the future than I could ever have expected to.

By the time we began university on 29th September 2008, I had already been in Thailand for almost 3 months. This time was spent volunteering with an NGO based in Chiang Mai that works with displaced people from Burma. Throughout those 3 months I learnt a little about what life in a Thai city is like for foreigners who move to Thailand in order to work for an NGO, business or school. My time at the NGO was based in Chiang Mai buying and sending supplies. Having been given a truck, various maps of the area, and never-ending lists of the items needed, it was a brilliant way for me to get to know my way around and get a taste for Chiang Mai. I loved waking up in the morning to the sights, sounds, smells and the warmer climate, all things I was not used to at all! I was surprised how friendly and open Thai people were to foreigners, it was so nice to be made to feel so welcome in Chiang Mai. Everyone seemed to want to share their small piece of Thailand with me, and I was invited to noodle shops for dinner, taken to festivals, funerals and people's homes for impromptu karaoke sessions!

At first, using Thai language in everyday life around the city seemed very different to our previous learning in the classroom in Leeds, and it took me a little while to adapt to being able to communicate effectively in Thai. It was great to be able to read signs around the city and to have the ability to write. I endeavoured to have basic conversations with people that I met but after a while I realised I had to work harder with these conversations as they only ever went to a certain level after which I struggled to think of more to say. In the first few months my main aim was to expand my vocabulary and so I made a conscious effort to learn new words each day and revise them regularly as well as putting them to good use. I found it so much easier to remember words than I had in England as I was able to use them all the time. In these early months I also learnt a lot more about my style of learning and also how it differed from others in the group. Throughout the year I also came to see areas of my strength and weaknesses in language learning.

When in England, it sometimes seems like an unusual subject to be reading as a degree course but I now know, from conversations with Thai friends and people I met whilst in Thailand, how much it means to people who can't speak English to be able to engage in conversation and talk to people in their own language. Even though communication can be difficult or awkward at times, in my mind it is definitely worth it.

In that way my year abroad has taught me the value of languages and the importance of language learning, and maintaining and investing in languages even at this time of globalisation and when so many people are learning English language. Language is an important part of culture and for me I felt it was like a key that unlocked aspects of Thailand that I would never had been able to experience or understand were I not able to speak to the people. I continue to expect that as my language skills improve over the coming 2 years, my knowledge of the language and culture of Thailand will continue to unlock more opportunities and understanding of new areas of study and friendships.

Being in Thailand itself simply felt like the best and most natural place to learn about Thai culture, Buddhism and the history of the area as well as more current issues such as the political situation. I was fascinated by all that I saw and heard and wanted to learn and experience more. The culture classes that we had were very informative, and through the various trips organised by CMU ensured the experience over our months of study was a rounded one. I especially enjoyed our long-weekend stay at Thai village in Amphur Praau, learning not only about Thai culture, but more especially about Northern Thai culture and it's differences. The food and company was fantastic, and the pace and way of life seemed so different from what I had grown accustomed to in Chiang Mai. Our host families welcomed us into their homes with open arms and it was great to be able to spend time with all generations of the Thai family from the children right through to grandparents. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone who wants to know more about the real Thailand.

I chose to make the most of the opportunity to study extra classes at the university, and studied Clothing Construction and Burmese; my main aim in studying these classes was to make friends with other students. It was a great way to be part of university life; everyone in the classes was so friendly and I had lots of help and support from the other students. I also especially enjoyed studying in the Faculty of Humanities as there was always something going on there such international days, fashion shows, welcome days for prospective students etc that we could be part of. I was amazed by the initiative and creativity of students who worked together to transform the faculty each time there was a different event and the great atmosphere and turn out on these days. The student culture of CMU was certainly different from that of Leeds University in many different ways and it took a while to adapt to that, but all people I met were incredibly welcoming and it was great to be a part of such a thriving Faculty. I had a brilliant time there teaching English in a Karen school, and also taught English in the Thai government school in the town every day as well.

Overall my time and experiences in Thailand have been thoroughly fantastic. From the variety of people that I met, the friendships forged, the failed conversations and the successful ones, from renting student rooms, exploring markets, discovering delicious Thai dishes, learning the intricacies of Thai culture, right through to snatched conversations with old people in the back of songtaus, chatting with monks, or spending time with other Thai students, I feel so privileged to have been part of the student body of a Thai university and I had the most wonderful time. The experiences that I have had, shared with my fellow students from Leeds, Thai friends, or other foreigners who I met in Thailand are ones that I hope to treasure and be able to share with others in order to broaden people's perspectives about life and to remind people of the hundreds and thousands of cultures, languages, places and ways of life that exist in our beautifully diverse world.