Throughout our stay in Chiang Mai, we were given many opportunities to immerse ourselves in Thai culture. At the beginning of the program, we attended orientation at Chiang Mai University. In it, we learned valuable information on Thai language, Buddhism in Thailand, cultural do’s and don’t, and Thailand’s history. It was very beneficial for the rest of the program because we were able to build a foundation to ready for the homestay. After the Thai language lessons, we learned common phrases in Thai to be able to greet people, get around, order at a restaurant, etc. To gather more insight about Thai food, we attended a Thai cooking class, where we cooked popular dishes that we’ll be eating all throughout the program like Pad Thai, green curry, Tom Yum Soup, spring rolls, and mango sticky rice. By the end of the class, we were able to successfully cook and learn the ingredients necessary to make Thailand’s most popular dishes. The most interesting thing I learned there is how quick and easy it is make Pad Thai. Since Pad Thai is my favorite food, I’m happy that I am able to eat it as much as I want.
Felix L
