Thursday, August 13, 2009

Christine's Gains

Academic Gains:


I learned about the different dimensions and indicators of sustainability, in which we applied to our research project. I really enjoyed learning about the women group's livelihoods on a sustainability light.



I learned about the importance of mangroves and its crucial role for maintaining a sustainable environment. From our readings, I have learned that mangroves act as buffers against tsunamis, they provide a habitat for many species; however they are drastically disappearing that may be due to increasing farm lands, thus it was an awesome experience to take part of a restoration project.

Cultural Gains:


We learned how to hand make roofs made out of leaves at the Moken Village. It was enjoyable for me to learn about the different ways of constructing building with natural materials.
















I learned the art of batik making with the help of the woman's groups.


It was a pleasure to learn how to make traditional Thai green curry. This turned out to be a pretty simple dish that required a bit of involved preparation of obtaining the coconut milk.


Personal Gains:


Truly, my most worthwhile gains from this trip was developing friendships that expanded from not only the students but also to our Thai translators, Thai teacher, and UCLA faculty.


I believe that my fear of creepy crawlies has nearly subsided after this program due to our constant exposures with them throughout the trip. It was also amazing to encounter so many species of ants.

No comments:

Post a Comment