I was interested in foreign countries since when I was a junior high school student. That I want to talk with foreign people motivated me to study English. After that, I chose my high school because it offered English training program abroad. However, because of COVID-19, I couldn’t join the program, and it frustrated me a lot. After I entered university, I studied in Thailand for 2 weeks, and this experience made me to aim to study abroad for a long term. Through the program, I communicated and took classes with Thai students of the Japanese Language Department. I was so excited that there were a lot of differences as university in Japan, and that there were so many letters which I couldn’t read in city. I spent time with them until late at night. It was the most fulfilling days in my life, so I wished to stay in Thailand in a long term.
During the stay, I was interested in market culture in Thailand. There were one market in the university, and more two markets near it. They had a lot of small shops and sold foods and daily necessities. I went to the same market every day, and I found the sequence and number of the shops differed day by day. In Chiang Mai University, I want to conduct research in the Warorot Market, one of the largest in the area.

Two months have passed since I came to Chiang Mai. Now I’m used to living here, and little by little, I understand and speak Thai better. I take Thai course in the university. It’s difficult for me to learn Thai in English, but it’s interesting because I can use what I remembered practically. I also take other courses which are taught in English. I can understand most parts as instructors speak not so fast. However, when it comes to discussion, I cannot speak so much because other students speak very well and have their own ideas. So I want to speak my idea more when the instructor asked about our idea, or I discuss with other students.
I often go to markets on weekends in Chiang Mai. There are many markets and all of them have their own characters. Some are small and have many local people, others are very big like a mall, others have many tourists, and the other have many Muslims. There are many markets where I could not go until now, but I want to go all market in Chiang Mai before I go back to Japan.
I joined countdown event at CAD with my friends, and we raised lanterns. I could not join the similar one on Khom Loy festival, but I could see an impressive view in the event, and I felt it was so good to join. It was my first time to join a countdown event and spend new year with many people, so this experience became a lifetime memory. Now I often talk with Japanese friends and Thai friends from Japanese department, so I want to make more friends and speak English more.