Cultural Event #4

On Tuesday, November 13th, I was fortunate to have attended an excellent presentation about study abroad opportunities in Thailand. Before attending the presentation, I was only able to locate Thailand on a map; now, I have a fair amount of knowledge about the lifestyle of the Thai people. It was undoubtedly worth showing up.

The presentation was conducted by Lee Altier. He is an employee here at Chico State in our Agriculture Department. You may think that's ironic since he teaches about Thailand, but agriculture is huge over there. Lee has been traveling to Thailand for the last six years, and still seems full of excitement, with maximum motivation. A benefit of the trip that clearly stands out is the fact that studying abroad in Thailand completely meets an upper division theme requirement. This is a huge incentive to studying there, but I think the experience alone would be the chance of a lifetime.

Thailand is located in the far east, and borders Laos, Malaysia, and Cambodia. It is close to Vietnam as well. The Himalayas are north of the country. The free time activities in Thailand are actually quite similar to those we have here in the United States. They include bicycling, exploring marketplaces, and visiting museums. On the contrary, there are activities you simply cannot do in the U.S. that are available in Thailand. These include elephant riding, and exploring the many caves that exist in the country. Along with these activities, a student will learn language, culture, and go only plenty of field trips.

I thought it was interesting that the seasons are completely opposite to that of the U.S. in Thailand. It is dry from October to April! It made me want to stay here for the summer, and travel to Thailand for our winter. Unfortunately for the incredibly generous Thai people, there has been lots of deforestation in the country. Lee told us the Opium plantations destroyed lots of land in the region. The soil was never restored of proper nutrients. But lots of land is protected now. Vegetables and coffee plantations are huge over there. And not only that, but the food is very affordable there too- something Americans aren't exactly used to.

Lee Altier gave an exceptional presentation this week. I hope I can visit Thailand at some point in my life, and I encourage anyone to do the same. It's a country that is totally culturally engaged, and it would truly be an authentic learning experience.