On May 5th 2024. My journey finally began. Back in September 2023, I heard about the field trips to London in the UK from my lecturer. I was so excited and never thought my dream would come true so soon. Without this program, it would have taken me another 6 to 10 years to be ready to come to London.
This field trip program from my university required five students to join, and they provided some budget for us. As soon as I heard this news, I immediately told my friends about going to London together, and it turned out to be the best decision ever.
In December 2023, students from the University of Westminster came and joined us at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. Although it wasn’t my first time having foreign friends, it was my first time having British friends. I was both excited and nervous, nervous that my English wasn’t good enough and that I wouldn’t understand their accents. However, I soon realised I was just overthinking. My British friends were very understanding and didn’t judge me for not being a native English speaker. This gave me more confidence and made me happy. I took them around Bangkok, visiting places like JJ Market and Asiatique. I also tried Indian food for the first time, which was very good. Through this trip, we built a strong friendship I never dreamed of.
After completing the paperwork, getting our visas and going through all the necessary processes, it was finally time for us to go to London. During booking our accommodation and flights, our friends from London helped us a lot. Without them, we would have had to pay more than usual. They helped us from the moment we landed in the UK, guiding us to our accommodation, helping us understand British culture, and even helping us book a train to another city in the UK.
Last December, I had the chance to learn more about the DEN Conference in Thailand. DEN is not just about the conference itself but also an opportunity to share our points of view on various topics, current events in our countries, and different research from different countries. It gives us a chance to make new friends and connections. It helped me gain more confidence as a speaker and allowed me to listen to the same problems that have occurred in different countries. Sometimes, problems are solved in other countries, but we don’t know about it until people who have faced them tell us.
Time flies in the blink of an eye. We’ve only been here for two weeks, but I don’t want to say goodbye to any of the friends I’ve made here. It was a short time, but I built a long-lasting friendship with my British friends. Thank you to Dr. Farhang Morady for helping me through the difficult times and giving me the greatest opportunity ever.
Suphanarpha Boonkant, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand