Following the completion of orientation week and the first week of the Foundations course, it was time for the ISDSI retreat! It started with an early morning on Friday in order to make sure all the students completed their swim assessments before lunch, and with staff in kayaks rowing beside them, students swam 150 meters out into the middle of a reservoir and then back before treading water for 15 minutes. Mix in some frisbee while the students waited for everyone to complete their assessments, and it provided for some very big appetites at lunch.
Sitting in little bamboo houses right beside the reservoir, it was only appropriate to eat fish and a variety of other dishes. However, the most lively dish of them all was “dancing shrimp.” After mixing fiery chilies, a generous amount of lime, salty fish sauce and mixed herbs the live shrimp are then placed into the mixture and immediately start to “dance.” As the bowls were placed on the students’ tables, the sound of the dancing shrimp jumping around in the closed bowl was hidden below the loud chatter of the students…and the quiet laughter of the staff as the most curious student at each table would open the bowl and scream when they saw the small shrimp dancing around and some even popping out. After all the excitement, it was explained, to the most daring of the students that wanted to try the dish, how to quickly lift the lid up, scoop out a spoonful and pop the shrimp in their mouths.
After lunch, everyone packed up and got in the waiting vans to head to Mork Fa Waterfall for the weekend. For the next two days, staff provided a series of trainings, leadership development activities, games and an academic hike to prepare the students for the expedition field courses. There was everything from “Staying Healthy in Thailand” and “Working Styles and Leadership” to “Pass the Powder” and s’mores around the campfire. In between activities, students had the opportunity to get to know each other better, swim at the waterfall, and enjoy delicious meals prepared by the staff.
Overall, it was a great time, and following the academic hike on the last morning, one of the staff led a closing activity that had everyone tape a piece of paper to their back so that other students and staff could write encouraging notes or things they had learned about that person during the retreat. Getting back in the vans and heading home to their host families in Chiang Mai, the students had experienced and gained a better understanding of what ISDSI’s field expedition courses will look like, felt more prepared for the things they will face in the field, and had the benefit of becoming closer to the other students on the program. It’s now back to classes and enjoying all the cultural experiences studying abroad in Thailand has to offer!
