Memoir - Admission/Application Essay Example

As a way of performing such an analysis, this brief reflection and analysis will look at the culture, political situation, language, geographic highlights, food, and other appeals that the nation of Thailand has on this author as a potential place to relocate and begin a new life. Although such a short piece cannot truly provide an exhaustive look into an entire nation, it will be the express interest of this author to seek to provide as clear and consistent a picture as possible for the main determinants that this writer considers as the most important in making a decision such as starting a new life abroad.

From the time I was a child, Southeast Asia has been a region of the world that fascinated me. Perhaps the reason for this is due to the fact that it is an area of the world that is not often discussed and therefore shrouded in a degree of mystique. Whatever the reason, my attraction to the area and specifically the rich and deep culture of Thailand has been such a perennial interest of mine that it can be said that one of my top goals in life is to visit and eventually move to live within a nation such as Thailand.

The reasons that I find such a proposition so deeply attractive are numerous. The first reason is due to the culture. Due to the fact that the teachings of Buddhism have intrinsically affected the way in which Thailand has developed over the centuries, this has left a permanent and profound mark on the way that the individuals within the nation interact with one another, how their world view is formed, and what outlook they have with regards to their own daily lives (Ashley 73). I find this reliance upon the teachings and guidance of Buddhism to be extremely refreshing in a world that is continually scarred by religious strife and conflict.

Due to the fact that Buddhism takes an extraordinarily tolerant approach to different mindsets, worldviews, and religions, it is my belief that the adoption of such a religion and culture would necessarily help to heal many of the divisions that currently exist within the world. A secondary and much more selfish reason for this author wanting to move to Thailand is the fact that I have long ago fallen in love with the food that the country has to offer. Although it can easily be said that a large number of individuals within the United States have developed a certain affinity for spices and exquisitely flavored foods, it is difficult to explain just what type of foods are available within the nation of Thailand and elsewhere throughout Southeast Asia.

As compared to the United States, the spices that are used to flavor the foods are almost non-comparable. As one might expect, even the so-called “Thai” restaurants that exist on many street corners and alleyways within the United States pay a poor tribute to the full range and complexity of flavors that exist within the cuisine of Thailand. As a result of spending time with a Thai school friend of mine and eating at her house with her family on multiple occasions, my appetite for traditional, spicy Thai food has only been increased.

As a function of enjoying change, spices, and new experience, this is yet another aspect that deeply attracts me to the culture and geography of Thailand. Of course, one cannot speak of Thailand or Southeast Asia and do such a topic justice without speaking to the intrinsic and widespread natural beauty