Submitted by Cassidy Pieper on the 2020 winter session program in Australia and Thailand sponsored by the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics…
This week was our adventure in Chaing Mai. The absolute highlight of my time there was our excursion to the elephant sanctuary. Not only were we able to feed, play with, and wash the elephants, but we also learned how elephants evolved throughout the Thai culture. Elephants have always been sacred animals in Buddhism. However, domesticating elephants began as people used them as a mode of transportation, then they began to be used for profit in events such as circus shows. Eventually, people realized that the elephants were being hurt in the circus and then came about sanctuaries for the elephants.
We also had the opportunity to experience authentic Thai cooking. We learned how to make many traditional dishes and also learned about how food in Thailand is a cultural expression as well. Lastly, we visited factories where traditional Thai products such as umbrellas and silk were made. It was a unique experience to watch the handmade items from beginning to end and not through a machine, but manual labor. I felt more of an emotional connection to the products after watching them transform through every phase of production.
