The Summer of Temples and Mango Sticky Rice Past Review
By Lauren Shroll (Ohio University) - abroad from 06/28/2017 to 07/30/2017 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Chiang Mai - Summer in Thailand
Post-traveling, I have the support of fellow CISabroad alumni ambassadors and alumni relations coordinators in sharing my story. Through their guidance, I have learned how I can best use this experience in the path ahead of me, and as a result, I'm planning on applying to do my dietetic internship abroad in becoming a registered dietitian. I am also using my experiences to fuel my dream to practice nutritional education abroad.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really like taking an introductory class to Thai language and a Buddhist Philosophy class. The Thai class included excursions to local markets to actively utilize the vocabulary that we had learned to order smoothies, fruits by the kilo, and clothing. The philosophy term paper featured a lot of self-reflection, and it was actually a paper I enjoyed writing, linking the Buddhist concepts to what I learned over the course of the month to my life overall. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site members of the program were available to message 24/7, so that gave us all peace of mind. The members made themselves readily available, but also gave our group a lot of independence in travelling and exploring on our own. It was a good balance. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We all stayed together at the Chiang Mai Gate Hotel, which was well-known by locals and taxi-drivers, making it an easy trip to the university and a quick walk from all the weekly walking markets and food vendors. Whether it was attending school, getting lunch, or going out for the night, I could not have felt safer. |
| * Food: |
A breakfast buffet was offered each morning at our Chiang Mai Gate Hotel lodgings. Always featured local fresh fruit and vegetables. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had the freedom to have little adventures in Chiang Mai on a daily basis, and the weekend excursions provided a variety of ways to learn more about the local culture. While travelling, the program also linked us to "Thai buddies" at the university. These amazing individuals taught us so much on the local language and culture and we all had so much fun going out and exploring the city together. I consider them great friends and stay in contact with them to this day. I know that when I revisit Thailand, I have amazing people to travel with in future. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
As far as my time in Thailand, the on-site coordinators were always available for contacting, which was a blessing when I became ill and needed medical attention. I was unsure on getting medical assistance when I had only a beginner's understanding of Thai, but the on-site coordinator was kind, beyond words, to ride with me in the tuk-tuk to the hospital and sit with me in the waiting room while I saw the doctor and received my medicine. |
| * Safety: |
Chiang Mai was a mix of rural and urban sprawl. The vendors and markets were in within walking distance to our hotel, and the hotel was well-known to locals, so even if we farther in the city and needed to take a taxi back home, our taxi driver knew exactly where we were located. Even with a beginner's knowledge of the local language, I felt at ease exploring the city and visiting the markets. Everyone was very laid-back and friendly. I felt very safe, even going out in the city late at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I think back to July and it feels like a dream. From backpacking by the rice paddies of Pai, sharing mango sticky rice with newfound friends, or finding banana blossoms on hill tribe pathways, I found adventure on the other side of the world. Not only did I experience into a new culture, a new lifestyle, and language, but I found lifelong friends. I stay in contact with my roommate and other members of my group through social media. I talk with several of them at least once a week. I could not have been blessed with a greater group offering better support. I am beyond thankful. Thank you to CISabroad for bringing us all together in Chiang Mai. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Thailand is a easy place to travel and live on a college budget. For example, meals at street vendors were typically $1 for a full meal, or approximately 33 baht. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $40 on average |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I would that carrying cash can be helpful in visually seeing how much you are withdrawing and spending, as long as you store the money in a safe place. I would also carry as much money as you think you need to keep from overspending. Also, keep your program duration in mind. You have time to visit places and try dishes in future. It's easy to overspend when you get there because you think that you have so little time, but space your spending out. There is time to see plenty of places and try all the food. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Our Thai teacher often had us do market excursions, where we used Thai to order fruits by the kilo, ask after prices on certain items, ask directions and look at clothing or find certain local food items. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | French II in high school |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | I would advise looking at videos on "Terms to Know" prior to departure. It's a great activity for the long plane rides. I got an app that I could use in my wait at airports, and could practice offline as well. Also, learning about how to talk about and order food is a great place to start when seeking to learn a new language. That's where I started in learning, because I wanted to be able to ask if items were free of meat, eggs, and dairy, based on my eating habits. That, and it was interesting to learn how to talk about local exotic fruits. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | While I'm not sure if this is the case, my roommate and I have wondered if CISabroad takes into account your profile and preferences/life philosophy and interests in matching you with a roommate. Whether or not this is the case, I was blessed with a roommate who I clicked with instantly. Other people in our group said they felt well-matched with their roommates too! We are such good friends as a result of this program and send each other letters like pen-pals. I highly encourage being honest and detailed in your profile. In any case, I really encourage you go into your program with the thought of planning trips and excursions with your group, whether it's backpacking in a different city or getting milk tea down the street. Get to know the people in your study abroad group. Dance, listen to local live music, and visit local sights. Exploring is less scary and also more fun, when friends are involved. |
