Happy Holidays

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Times are tough
All over the world
From East to West
And all the rest

Gifts may be small
This year moneys tight
But babies still crawl
And candles still light

So cherish the simple
The things that will always be
Take care of our earth
In spring plant a tree

A glimpse at the moon
A breath of fresh air
These things we all have
These things we can all share

Happy Holidays to all
Happy days to come
This is my wish
An in faith can be done


Happy Holidays,

Mountain Temple

This mountain temple is one of my favorites. I hiked to the temple the first time I came to Thailand. At that time there was one small temple building and an ancient chedi. The new temple building, in this picture, houses several large white Buddhas. The building has simple clean lines and an amazing roof structure.



This Buddha makes his home in a man-made cave at the same mountain temple. This is an example of a fairly uncommon white Buddha. Most of the Buddhas in Thai temples tend to be gold.

History

We all may be witnessing one of the most powerful uniter and speakers the world has ever seen. There is no doubt we are experiencing one of the most historic events in world history, the first black (and white) president.

Watching Barack's acceptance speech today, I flashed back to the nights our family gathered around to watch the much anticipated television series "Roots" in the year 1977. As a young boy, my emotions ran wild watching Kunta Kinte struggle through the beatings and chains of slavery wanting only freedom and to love. The most dominate emotion was sadness. It was sadness for what black people had been put through because of the color of their skin and the ignorance of their fellow humans.

Time will tell how the presidency will treat Barack, but for now he is a beacon in the darkness for countless people around the world. A beacon to all ethnicities.

Good luck to the United State's new first family, and to President, Barack Hussein Obama ll.

Deadly Box Jellyfish

An official warning issued by the Phuket Marine Bological Center (PMBC) confirms that the potentially deadly box jellyfish have arrived in the waters around Phuket, Thailand.

The box jellyfish were found in a fish trap. The jellyfish prefer the shallower brackish waters. A two-day collection recovered another eighteen more in the same area.

This follows a reported death of a Swedish Tourist in the waters off Koh Lanta. In early April another person was reportedly stung in these same waters.

The box jellyfish can have a potentially deadly sting. The toxin from the tentacles can travel to the heart in four minutes, causing cardiac arrest.

Regular household vinegar is one of the best medicines. Vinegar can slow the toxins entering the blood stream lessening the effect of a sting.

Local authorities recommend bringing a small bottle of vinegar to the beach in case of a box jellyfish sting. This method also works on other types of jellyfish stings.

If anyone is suspected to have been stung by a box jellyfish, apply vinegar to the sting. If the victim falls into cardiac arrest, begin CPR immediately.

"Your learning FLASH?"

This past week I had a chance to interview for a school in Chiang Rai, a town near the northern border of Thailand. In the interview process, I was required to “demo teach” a class of students ranging from 12 to 14 years old. The kids were great, and I was impressed with their English speaking skills.

I also toured the English speaking section of the school that consists of over 3000 students. These Thai students are required to take several classes taught entirely in English. Courses consist of science, social studies, health, English, and computer class.

I was especially impressed that these young students were learning computer programs including Excel and Flash. By the time the kids are 14 years old, they will learn how to write script in Flash, the same website design program I spent time learning while attending journalism school at the University of South Florida.

Thailand, being a developing country, looks towards its younger generations to help the country progress in the age of escalating Asian economies. Judging from the skills these kids are acquiring, Thailand should have a bright future. That is, if the country can solve its ongoing governmental saga that, according to global business reports, hinders economic stability and growth.

Monk Chat

This is an partial excerpt from a handout I picked up at Wat Suan Dok Temple in Chiang Mai. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons there is a free “Monk Chat” that gives the monks a chance to practice their English, and give the western visitors a chance to visit with a Monk and receive a lesson in Buddhism if they so wish.

********

Dear fellow westerner,

If you come here motivated by your personal and sincere quest for what could answer your existential questions and the desire to find a gratifying spiritual nourishment or simply because driven by the intellectual curiosity on a philosophy and a view of life about which you want to know more, you are most welcome.

Thailand is a Buddhist country, and in Buddhism thrives its culture and civilization. It is because of this Buddhist culture, tolerant, non-aggressive nor violent, that Thailand and its people are as they are, which is the reason for which we like them. This culture must be preserved and respected. Keep in mind, therefore, that you are in a Buddhist Country, in a Buddhist Temple, and in a Buddhist Academy. Coming here with the intention to convert shows at least a lack of tact and of respect and it shows ignorance.

A “Christian” Thailand is not conceivable without causing the destruction of its culture. History has widely proven that dogmas and the frightful claim to hold the only “truth” generate exclusiveness and intolerance, which in turn lead to violence. Exclusiveness and intolerance have violently and without mercy destroyed the ancient peaceful and tolerant pagan world of the Greeks and Romans and that of the pre-Columbian civilizations of Central and South America. Exclusiveness and intolerance have led to violent clashes and slaughters among Christian sects and among monotheistic religions.

Furthermore, such evangelization has the ultimate and undeniable intent of undermining and destroying a culture, a social structure and traditions, replacing them with a narrow-minded religious absolutism, which is foreign to the cultural background of peoples of this part of the world. This is unacceptable and condemnable also by the intellectual integrity of any westerner.

Carlo Faillace
(Prof. of History and of Romantic Languages and Literature)

Full Moon of the Rainy Season

The cool misty air hung low in the Mae Chaem valley as people flocked to the temple grounds dressed in traditional textiles. Massive drums and cymbals created a rhythmic pattern that filled the lowlands with a slow movement. Full moon day in the heart of the rainy season is a special time at the temple.



The local villagers arrived and paid respects by creating their form of “Christmas trees” made of bamboo and native vegetation. The bases of the trees are made from natural items such as long grasses tied together with vine, or a stalk of a banana tree. Splitting bamboo in to thin strips and inserting them in the base creates the branches of the offering tree.

The thin bamboo branches are adorned with soap, toothpaste, pencils and paper, laundry detergent, incense and candles, money, and other basic essentials offered to the monks and temple. Umbrellas woven into the bases sheltered many of the offering trees adding a modern cap on the ancient tradition.

Many of these traditional festivals still survive, although Thailand is rapidly becoming more and more westernized. Less than 40 years ago this valley had no electricity and rarely saw a vehicle on the dirt streets. Local villagers bathed in the streams and traveled mostly by foot and ox and cart. Rarely was a western face experienced in the valley.

Today, a new 7-11 fueling station is being completed in the town of Mae Chaem where you can grab a Coke or Heineken, a new cell phone card, bag of chips, and purchase popular fashion magazines.

Hopefully it will be a few years before the strip malls over-run the local village market, but that may just be wishful thinking for those longing for a simpler time.

The Hill Tribe School - Part 1

Side: Mudslide puts boys dorm in jeopardy


Below: A teacher and residence on school grounds












Before her death, the Kings' Mother made a request to Boonthan Mahavan to do anything necessary to improve the standard of living for the hill-tribe people in Northern Thailand. One of Boonthan's projects is a small school near Mae Chaem that houses and educates around fifty hill-tribe kids. The kids come from various groups such as the Aka, Lisu, and Hmong located near the Thai-Myanmar border areas.

After the death of the King’s mother, the vow help the hill tribe people was passed on to her beloved daughter-in-law Queen Sirikit. The Queen had forever been a humanitarian with a deep interest in the environment and the people who relied on it. The Queen fostered many royal projects around Thailand while creating new preserves in the mountains of northern Thailand – the land of the hill tribe people.

Shortly after settling on a location near Mae Chaem, the Sungwan Foundation purchased six ‘rai’ of land (approximately 2.5 acres) in the hills surrounding the lush valley. Doi Inthenon, the highest peak in Thailand, stands guard over the lush valley and the school.

The Sungwan foundation initially started in 1967 as a mobile medical unit dedicated to improving the health of the mountain people. Equipped with four-wheel drive vehicles, the team of volunteers travel to remote villages administering medical attention to the isolated people. Today, the volunteers consist of over 200 dentists and doctors from throughout Thailand. The mobile unit uses a laptop, linked through satellite, enabling the volunteers in the field to communicate directly with a doctor in Bangkok.

Back at the school, hill tribe children are taught how to farm various crops using organic fertilizer, raise animals such as catfish and frogs, create handy-crafts, and grow mushrooms. The kids are also taught music with a minimal amount of "traditional" school topics most of us are familiar with.

I will return the hillside school this week to double check my facts in this post and gather more information. I will also update you on efforts to retain a small mudslide that put one of the boy’s dorms in jeopardy during my last visit. The rainy season is flourishing in northern Thailand.

COMING SOON

Before her death, the Kings' Mother made a request to Boonthan Mahavan to do anything necessary to improve the standard of living for the hill-tribe people in Northern Thailand. One of Boonthan's projects is a small school near Mae Chaem that houses around fifty hill-tribe kids. The kids come from various groups such as the Aka, Lisu, and Hmong located near the Thai-Myanmar border areas.

I had a chance to visit this amazing school and spend a couple nights at Boonthan's house. In the next few days I will attempt to piece together a series of posts that highlight the school and various projects created to improve the life of these amazing people.

The Good Old Daze

An old friend recently tracked me down via the internet and sent me some photos from the early 90's.

The Magic Van, buried in snow, was me and Brown's home for a couple years in the mountains of Colorado. It had recently snowed a couple feet on my property and Brown didn't mind at all. The silence of winter was beautiful up in the hills.

Great BIG? World

On my way to take a TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate course at Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

“It’s a great big world out there,” we were told back in the days of 55 mph speed limits, broadcast television, and green and black computer screens. Heck, it wasn’t long ago that most people believed the earth was flat and the universe revolved around the flat Earth. Oh my, how things have changed.

Just after flying over Duluth, Minnesota and Lake Superior, which holds about one-fifth of the planets fresh water, I was served up a nice hot meal. (yes, international flights still serve food…for free!) I had chosen a Korean dish since I was flying Korean airlines, and settled in for the 14-hour trip from Atlanta to Seoul.

On the side of the tray, holding several small covered dishes, I was humored to see a single pad of Land O’ Lakes butter. The Native American Indian maiden on the front of the red, yellow and green label was very familiar to this Minnesota boy.

The organization was incorporated on July 8, 1921, as the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association. In 1924, the association decided to expand its butter market, and a search was made for an appropriate brand name and trademark. A contest was announced to choose a name. To tie in with the golden color of butter, $500 in gold was offered as prize money.(www.landolakes.com)

I chuckled how this little pad of butter from Minnesota, and a Minnesota native, were flying over Duluth, where my mother was raised, on their way to South Korea.

As I panned further around the array of food, I found several countries were sharing my plate. Japan had the seaweed soup. Korea had the hot sauce. China had the dinner wear. America had the water and butter, and I guessed the bread. Columbia had the coffee.

The well-kept and polite Korean stewardess smiled and asked (in English) if I would like some wine, (from Italy), or tea (from India). I stuck with the Americas and had a coffee and Sprite.

The native Thai man next to me asked the stewardess for a wine, (in Korean) then looked at me and said, “Cheers, here’s to a short flight.”

I assumed the plane would handle enough Middle Eastern fuel to get this hodge-podge of passengers to wherever it was we were all going. It seemed most ethnicities were represented on this 747 jumbo jet. And like the little pad of Land O’ Lakes butter, we were all crossing this ever-shrinking planet sharing little bits of our cultures.

8.14.08 - Time To Fly

The time has arrived when I put down my carpentry tools and embark on another journey into the vast world outside the confines of my home country. I use the word “confines” not in an unruly or condescending manner, but in the reality that, for me, Americanism has the ability to overshadow the amazing things that happen every day at all corners of the globe. Although the computer age has given us the ability for virtual travel through news and travel websites, it just isn’t the same as experiencing foreign countries first hand.

One of my favorite hobbies when traveling is to keep an eye on the newspapers and foreign news broadcasts. It is interesting to see perspectives of current issues from various cultural viewpoints around the world. These perspectives give me the tools to help evaluate my own viewpoints and inevitably cause a revamping of my opinions.

Over the past few months I have brushed up on my Thai language skills. My new repertoire includes numbers, a vital aspect of survival. I am also now able to string together some simple sentences. It will be exciting to test my new skills in daily life around the country.

During this new journey to Thailand and beyond, I will again use my computer and camera to note some of the things I find interesting, practical, funny, amazing, or just beautiful. I will try to add posts on a regular basis over the next few weeks; I hope you have a chance to check in.

Great Quote

Once, a king visited the Buddha and was astonished to see how calm and happy His monks were. So he asked, "Venerable Sir, the monks of other gurus constantly look as if they're in pain.  But your monks, Sir, radiate such peace and happiness. Tell me, how do they did it?"

The Buddha's answer is one of the most beautiful things I've ever read. He said, "They have no regrets about the past. They have no worries about the future. They are at peace with the present".

That's it. The whole secret of daily happiness is in these three simple sentences. It's so profoundly beautiful.

From The Daily Enlightenment on buddhanet.net

Just another Day

Just another Day

The farmers across the street load their scooters with milk cans. Cattle are prodded through the streets to their new location. Chickens crow out in the orange glow of the morning sun rising over the mountains, while patrons go in and out of the little corner shop selling sweet and spicy Thai food for breakfast. It’s just another day in rural Northern Thailand.

For me, it’s my last – at least for a little while. I pack my bags leaving behind several things which I hope to return to next fall. On the list; a pair of tennis shoes, two pairs of jeans, a couple shirts and some books. The first leg of my journey will only allow a maximum load of forty pounds.

Tomorrow I will fly from Chiang Mai to the international airport in Bangkok, hold out in a hotel for the night, and leave early the following day on my thirty-hour trip back across the planet.

Thailand hasn’t changed much in the five years since my last visit, and hopefully, it won’t change any time soon.

Sawadee

Broadcasting, Thai Style

Around seven in the morning, the daily news rings through the rural countryside via massive loudspeakers mounted on concrete utility poles. Throughout the day, there will be information such as election results, updates on the Royal family, and village meetings sent through the system.

Election Day was drawing near when I arrived in Thailand; a good opportunity to put the loudspeakers to work. This time, mounted on the top of trucks covered in campaign posters, the sound went mobile.

Every hour or so, I detected a faint noise in the mountain valley, which slowly became louder and louder, until the deafening sound passed by our front gate. The use of loudspeakers, along with vote-buying, seems to be the preferred method of campaigning around Mae On village.

Talking with local people, around 400 baht (around 12 dollars), seemed to be the going rate for the two biggest political parties. The local people we spoke with, to took the money, but did not vote for the party who coughed up the cash.

I wondered why vote-buying wasn’t exposed by the media since it was widely known by the public. The most common answer I got – the media would be in big trouble if they decided to report on this without concrete evidence, and currently, the people are not willing to come forward if there is media involved. So today in Thailand, as in many other developing countries, vote-buying stands.

Spirit House

From the grand palaces to the most primitive ramshackle dwellings, there is one thing Thai homes and businesses all have in common – the spirit house.

Buddhists do not believe in the existence of “God(s)” like in many other religions. The philosophy puts the emphasis on ones self and the ability to train ones own mind to achieve contentment and ultimate freedom from mental suffering. The power to achieve ultimate enlightenment, or nirvana, is simply within ones self and not in a contrived higher being.

On the other hand, much to my surprise, every Thai home or business is believed to be visited by spirits. It seems Thai people are very superstitious and ritualistic. Offerings are given to spirits in order to keep the peace. This is where the spirit house comes in.

The average spirit house looks like a miniature Buddhist temple. As in temples, incense and candles are lit in front of the spirit house. This is to create a more desirable place for the spirits to dwell; to draw them away from your house and into the mini-temple. Other gifts to the spirits include a clean glass of drinking water, a small portion of rice or food, and flowers to name a few. One should also remember to keep the spirit house clean and out of the shadow of the home or business.

It is crucial, when lighting the candles and incense, you offer in groups of five, seven or nine. I have yet to receive a concrete answer as to why these numbers are so important, but since our spirit house is near the window of my bedroom, I had better follow the instructions.

Sawadee