Chiang Mai posed for many of us an opportunity to get away from the familiar and learn about, what seemed like, an unknown and mysterious backyard. Thailand, a country situated just above Malaysia, was a place many only associated with Bangkok and Phuket, and so the location was in itself enticing.
When I signed up for the trip, I did not know anyone in Monash beyond my ridiculously tiny social network. Many of the travellers were already acquainted with each other, having shared classes or similar social groups. When I was given the task of chief editor I shuddered at the notion of organizing a bunch of art students who, by definition, should not be prone to the notions of organization and deadlines – I, for one, still struggle with them. But having said that, I was pleasantly surprised at the work ethic that came with each team, and so felt assured of the workload given to us.
We arrived inquisitive, though slightly sleepy, at Chiang Mai Airport, and the transportation that greeted us was both unexpected and exciting; pick-up trucks with roofs, and which soon became our main mode of transport around the city, was one of the pivotal settings for the groups of us to get to know each other. It was also a place for Abeer to release her frustrations and boredom by singing the Sesame Street theme song.
Days passed rather slowly for us, early mornings and late nights; when it was three pm, we hoped for it to be six. Even so, each hour we spent, we learnt, laughed and sang. Work was done, though admittedly, not always on time. But the times we shared, we shared willingly. Getting to know one another was part of the incentive and became one of the main reasons we did not want to leave the country. Our student guides assimilated themselves to be one of us; they shared stories and experiences with us and vice versa, and because of that, they have left a lasting impression in our hearts and minds.
There are a couple of things that must be highlighted to single out this trip from others, making it (and this is my biased perspective) the BEST student trip EVER. One of which is, unlike the previous ones, the lack of a definitive setting in which previous travellers saw as mandatory – the cyber cafe. I have heard stories of previous travellers bonding over the brightly lit computer screens at cyber cafes. Though a few of us did do our work as one, most of us (and by the end of it, all of us) were instead stationed within the confines of our rooms or the makeshift studio at the guesthouse to finish our work.
We instead bonded over football, Singha beer, saman, banghra, talks about the trauma of sex shows and Muay Thai, and a group effort to get a couple of travellers emancipated from their denial of mutual infatuation. Considering the circumstances (or lack thereof), the travellers ended up seeing each other as more than just course mates; indeed, we are all now friends.
Another peculiar factor present within our group was the multiplicity of nationalities amongst the travellers. We had Malaysians, Indonesians, a Sri Lankan, an Indian, an Aussie, a Zimbabwean and a Chinese whose eagerness was infectious. It was interesting to see everyone break out of their national shells, and embrace each others’ idiosyncrasies. It was not only a trip to learn about Thai culture, but the culture of our fellow travellers, and most of us gained a plethora of knowledge, not excluding suave dances moves.
Dr. Yeoh, our Pathfinder and head honcho, set out planning this trip for us to learn about the world in ways we could not have in the pages of our course readers. He wanted us to learn by experiencing, by watching and hearing stories of struggles and triumphs. Personally, I think he wanted to reassure us of our ideals, and to hopefully retain them once we are released from the confines of our Monash gates. I wish for his plan to work, for the world is a reality that needs a necessary dose of idealism, which then hopefully this bunch of travellers can provide.
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