After the end of my second term of my program, the term break was giving me a sign to go on a vacation somewhere close to my home country.
After the end of my second term of my program, the term break was giving me a sign to go on a vacation somewhere close to my home country. I asked my mum for some recommendations and she suggested we take a trip to Thailand for some much-needed mother-daughter time and spend it like a retreat for the both of us. I immediately said yes to the vacation somewhere near the beach as that was what I needed. Even though Sydney is surrounded by beautiful beaches, there is something different about the tropical beaches which are situated in South-East Asia.
The trip to Thailand (more specifically, Bangkok) was an impeccable time for me. I got to go on a lot of clothing shopping sprees as clothes are super cheap there. However the weather was way too hot, around 40°C, which made it difficult to visit the famous outdoor Thai tourist spots as well as the popular Grand Palace. But we got to eat some amazing pad thai, flavourful bingsu, which is shaved ice cream served with some fruits, and matcha cake pieces, to help beat the heat of Bangkok.
As Thailand is well-known for its fresh fruits, we got to eat freshly sliced mangoes from the street stalls and the infamous exotic dragon fruit which is packed with nutrients and flavour. Thailand is also famous for its impeccable range of fresh seafood which includes the very popular barramundi cooked into a dish called pla neung manao (ปลานึ่งมะนาว). The spices that appear in Thai cooking helps to elevate the seafood taste and turn it into one big flavour bomb.
The best part of my Thai trip was the memories that I was able to make with my mum as we currently are living in different places. I was able to see that the trip was more like a refreshment for my mum as she is always busy taking care of our home amongst everything else on her daily to-do list. This made me think that I would like to take a trip with her every year from now on, and with time I’m sure we’ll happily reminisce about this first trip together with only the two of us. But I am also starting to miss Sydney and its weather because of the heatwave in Southeast Asia right now. I can’t wait to return to Sydney and get back to the rigorous uni life and routine which I have gotten used to.
Thank you to our Diploma student, who has requested to remain anonymous while sharing their story.
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