Do you know much about Thailand and its society? Well, I was born and raised in one. Let me tell you a story of how going to college saved my life.
There is a saying that the only thing parents can give us is education. Education is important since it can change where you are in society. I’m talking about social mobility.
I came from a family of teachers. Both my parents worked in a government school – for the sole reason of receiving benefits from the government that are only available to public servants. With this, my parents were able to put me through school, send me to the USA as an exchange student, and attend university. I worked my way up from there with their support.
Imagine a little girl that put every ounce of herself into learning English. She did not know then that she wanted to live abroad. She only wanted to get away.
Imagine how happy my parents were when I managed to get into Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University – the OxBridge of Thailand – and the Faculty of Arts at that. I know this may sound odd for many people, but ‘Aksorn Chula’ is the dream school of many Thai young ladies. ‘Sao Aksorn’ are famous for their beauty and their ability to speak Westernlanguages. I am not making this up. ‘Sao Aksorn’ like us are often mentioned in post-WW2 Thai literature.
So, imagine a country girl stepping foot in the place where her parents could only dream of. My parents were very proud of me, and so was I. It was one of a handful of moments in life where I felt accomplished.
Aksorn Chula changed my life in many ways. I was forcefully torn away from the small province girl who enjoyed grocery shopping at local shops to buying fancy salad from a ‘salad bar’ at Gourmet Paragon. I spent the first 3.5 year of my college life coming to terms with how strange I felt living in central Bangkok. How expensive it was and how much I needed to spend to just… fit in. I tried so hard. I mingled with people from an upper-class background and hung out in fancy places only to lose little pieces of myself along the way.
Then, I found myself at Aksorn Chula. I just got back from another short exchange program and my ego was as big as the Yak of the Grand Palace. That year was when the political situation in Thailand was at its peak. People were divided into ‘yellow’ and ‘red’ shirts. Many Ajarns (lecturers) from Aksorn Chula were on the stage supporting the coup … and I decided to take a course on 20th Century Fiction which taught me all about 1984… and that was the beginning.
I inherited my thoughts and beliefs from my Dad who is originally from the South of Thailand where people bleed as yellow as the colour of the turmeric in their curry.
The Fiction and Drama classes I took at my final year at Aksorn Chula are what changed me. Through meaningful discussions, patience and understanding from Ajarn, I started to find myself again – more authentic this time. I started to see the country for what it is, not what the authorities want us to see. Moreover, I started asking questions …
That’s how Aksorn Chula, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University changed my life. It introduced this country girl to the lifestyle that she thought she wanted but realised was not what she was looking for. It also introduced this girl to like-minded people who led her to places she could have never dreamt of.
I spent 4.5 years at Chula, and funnily enough my most memorable part was only the last year where I experienced growth in thought development. I loved that and I still crave for it.
I recently visited the very professor who inspired me so much and literally changed my life for the better. I told my partner that I want to have an impact like that on other people. It can literally change someone’s outlook on life, as I experienced it first-hand.
For wherever you are, and whatever college you are attending, I hope you gain more than just a degree, connections, or friendships. I hope you meet great people who challenge your ideas and beliefs and discover the ability within yourself to ask questions and, or, change the status quo.
Happy Birthday Aksorn Chula. Have a great one.
