Chiang Mai, Thailand

Why I chose to go to Thailand:The most enjoyable times of my life have been hiking to the summit of a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado with my father, just to head down and do it all over again the following day. Hiking and being in nature are things I love, and combining that with social interaction and an enlightening learning experience will be an ideal situation for me. After reading the description of the Thailand program, I felt that it was created just for me. I am interested in the foreign culture and the interactive learning program in Thailand. Moreover, that country provides an opportunity to learn a new language. After studying Spanish for four years in high school, I still didn't speak or write it fluently. I believe that the pressure of being immersed in the culture and the desire to communicate with the locals will allow me to learn the language quickly. In addition to the language barrier, Asian cultures vary dramatically from that of my homeland. Every foreign culture provides a new view of life and the world. Buddhism, which shapes the people’s motivations, morals, and values, will present a different outlook on life, and allow me to reassess the life I have lived so far. I believe that Thailand’s culture will provide a collectivist view on life for me to consider. The most attractive aspect of the Thailand program is the interactive, hands-on learning approach that will help me make the most of my time spend abroad. I am excited about all the new things I'll be learning.

Another intercultural experience I had: I spent three weeks during the summer of 1996 in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales as a student ambassador on the People to People program. This was the first time I had left the United States, and the first time I was apart from my parents for an extended time. As part of the trip, I stayed for five days with an English family that had children attending middle school. Every day I went to classes and rode the bus home with them. Without fail, during each ride I encountered the same redheaded boy who mocked my American accent. With each day that passed, I grew more uncomfortable and introverted. I was embarrassed and ashamed to be an American. This situation made me realize the vulnerability of all immigrants. Feeling like outsiders and being ridiculed for their cultural differences heightens the immigrant’s sense of alienation. The brief time I spent being in the minority provided me with a deeper understanding of the isolation immigrants feel. In America, as a part of the dominant culture, I am aware of my power in society. I gained the ability to sympathize with foreigners’ situations after this experience, and I try to avoid making others feel embarrassed or alienated.

How this class helped me prepare for study abroad: I would recommend Cross-Cultural Understanding and Inter-Cultural Communication to any student embarking on an extended stay in a foreign culture. In this class I have learned as much about myself as I have about other cultures’ values, beliefs, and norms. As part of class we placed ourselves along a continuum of collectivist and individualist cultures; we analyzed our conceptions of time; and we explored whether our locus of control was internal or external. We compared our personal beliefs to composite portraits of U.S culture and several other cultures. It was advantageous to learn where you stand on the cultural continuum and to identify where you deviate from the norms of your home culture. When examining where you lie compared to others from your homeland you can identify why some interpersonal communications fail even in your own culture.

After learning about myself, I became aware of some intercultural communication problems I might face abroad. One significant aspect of the class was learning a useful method for analyzing cross-cultural situations. The best way to learn from the experience is to journal according to the DIVE model. First, as objectively as possible, Describe the experience in detail. After describing it, one must Interpret the experience in terms of the host culture. Once one has formed an interpretation this should be Verified by seeing if it holds true in other situations. Then (and only then) an Evaluation, including a value judgment, can be made. The evaluation should tell how the interaction made you feel, and how you might handle such interactions in the future. I have learned in this class that so many intercultural communication problems occur because I expect people to respond similarly to me. Through the process of writing and reflecting, cultural variations will be illuminated and the tendency to progress too quickly from experience to evaluation will be avoided.

What I identified as the greatest challenges facing me as I began my study abroad program: On September 26, 2003, I will travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand and will not set foot on American soil again until March 1, 2004. Traveling to a new land promises to be exciting and educational as well as intimidating and nerve-racking. The differences between my personality and the cultural norms in Thailand are provoking these intense feelings. Thais’ identities are defined by their participation in a group. Harmony and the interdependence of group members are important to maintain. It is logical, then, that many group endeavors value the relationship of group members over the final product. Because of my U.S. American upbringing, my identity is isolated in myself; I value independence and personal achievements above group goals. While in Thailand I may find my identity being threatened because of the collectivist attitude. Moreover, some Thais have an external locus of control in that they believe that life's outcomes are determined by outside forces. I, however, have an internal locus of control. I believe it is possible — and even that it is my responsibility — to create opportunities to change my life. While abroad I may feel limited and helpless. These cultural differences will make adjustment to Thai culture frustrating.

Not only will I be challenged by the cultural differences I will encounter while abroad, but I will also miss things in my homeland. Most significantly, I will miss the network of support I have created with friends and family. When I am experiencing a negative emotion, such as frustration, sadness, or anger, I seek close friends to comfort me. The people with whom I feel most comfortable will remain in the United States. This distance from my support network will be very challenging, and I will have to find other techniques for dealing with my frustrations in a culturally acceptable way. Since my old methods have always proven successful, developing new ones will be the aspect of studying abroad that I expect to struggle with the most. Coincidentally, discovering new coping mechanisms will be valuable because this is a skill that will help me adjust to new situations later in life.

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Read excerpts from my letters home.