Sunday, January 31, 2010
Pictures are up!
There's a slideshow to the right side of the page and they're also posted on facebook. Sorry, I don't have the energy to re-post them to my blog page. Enjoy!
Koh Samet and back to Jeju
Three days of limited internet on the island, 2 days of travel, and 1 nights sleep at home puts me...back at my cold desk at school. Hooray! So catching up...
My good friend Lex woke me up at 5:30am last Wednesday to catch my flight back to Bangkok. We parted with lots of hugs and well wishes, and it was an uneventful few hours of plane and bus travel down to the coastal town of Rayong. **Note: I'd like to commend all the diligent pilots, drivers, navigators, and service staff who got me in and out of every port and city exactly on time for 2 weeks. Thank you!** Having been very frugal for the 1st week and a half of my trip, I threw money to the wind for the last few days. It was part intention and part necessity, as it turned out Koh Samet was much more expensive than I had expected. Expectations can be a funny thing...I was told by numerous people that Koh Samet would be so beautiful, quiet, and enjoyable so I went with high hopes, which came up a bit short. But back to Wednesday, after an expensive taxi and boat ride - for which I found out later I had vastly overpaid - I arrived at the touristy beach of Wong Dueng. The ferry ride was a relaxing 45 minutes on a fairly empty boat, sitting in the shade reading my book. We pulled into the white sand beach and a "water taxi" of sorts ferried us from our boat to the shore. I began this relaxing beach getaway by slipping and falling into the knee deep ocean, and trudging to shore with partially wet luggage. I was unconcerned about finding accommodations since the beach was lined with resorts and bungalows, so I sat down at a beach front table and, flagging down a waiter after about 10 minutes, had a Thai Iced Tea and sat in my soggy Thai pants reading my book. This was the general attitude of the wait staff on Wong Dueng beach. Unless they were dragging you into a restaurant to eat fresh fish or BBQ steak, they could care less about your need for food or beverage. I was commonly greeted with "What do you want" (imagine a brisk, unsmiling tone) as I walked up to a table, and then either left alone for 10-15 minutes or pestered immediately for an order. Because of this general negative attitude, I had a hard time loving Koh Samet. I am easily affected by the mood of those around me and not meeting a friendly Thai person in my 3 day stay really turned me off, especially compared to the people in the north. However, it was incredibly beautiful, pretty quiet, and very laid back. I read 2 books, relaxed in the shade of a beach umbrella, played in the salty ocean, and ate too much ice cream. Not really things to complain about, I know. I think my mood was also unsettled by a touch of loneliness. Most other tourists were accompanied by families, significant others, or Thai girlfriends, and most of them were not native English speakers - Scandinavians, Germans, and French primarily. My last afternoon I met a nice yoga teacher from the states who was living on Koh Samet, but until that time I kept to myself, just chatting up the odd Korean traveler. The best part was my bungalow. Although ant infested to begin with (it was pretty nasty), it ended up nice, quiet, and perfectly located between Wong Dueng and the next beach, which was far quieter. From my porch, I had a view of the ocean and a little rocky shore where I meditated and did yoga morning and afternoon. Large, flat, eroded stones covered this side beach and I just plopped my mat down on a dry rock for some (more) alone time.
Friday afternoon I got on a ferry back to the port town of Ban Phe and stayed there in the most expensive accommodation yet for my last night in Thailand. I sat in my brand new guest room, watched Thai TV, and read for the whole evening. Early Saturday morning I took a taxi, then bus up to the Bangkok airport for my 3pm flight to Seoul. I flew Jin Air, a budget Korean airline and, I believe a subsidiary of Korean Airlines. My ticket was cheap enough, so I can't complain about the lack of entertainment and refreshment on the 5 hour flight. I stayed with John again in Seoul and we had a delicious pastry & coffee breakfast before I flew back to Jeju Sunday around noon.
It has always been overwhelming to me to come back to Korea after going to another country. In the past year and a half, I've had the pleasure of going on 4 international trips, and it never ceases to surprise me just how loud and in a hurry Koreans are. From the moment their flight is called, most Korean travelers practically run onto the plane and immediately upon touchdown their seat belts are off, cell phones on, and luggage out as they race up the aisle to disembark. This is not without shoving, I can assure you. It's not rude here, just the way it's done. However, it does bring a smile to my face when I touchdown in Jeju and walk into my sleepy airport, into a crazy taxi ride, and home to my cozy apartment. Traveling always leaves me with an appreciation of my ordinary life and, in this instance, really made me appreciate and miss living in Seattle. I make no guarantees, but right now I'm really considering a long stay in my hometown after next year's adventures in SE Asia.
All in all, Thailand was great. Perfect weather, very nice people, way too much shopping, delicious food, interesting classes, and lots of sleep. Just the reprise I needed from the dreary Korean winter. Today is the first day of our last 2 weeks of school for the 2009 school year and, not at all surprisingly, 2 classes have no-showed. If time allows today, which I think it will, I'll put my pictures up. I don't expect to work too hard for the next month and will, hopefully, be refreshed for the new school year come March 1st. I know it's going to fly by and I'll be packing up my Korean life before you know it. I'm just looking forward to warmer weather and beach camping season. And before that, I'm so excited for my mom's visit next month!
On a completely unrelated note, I've decided to give up alcohol for the next month. I did very little drinking in Thailand and felt kind-of crappy the very few times I did have a beer. February will be devoted to healthy food, meditation, and going to the gym. My boyfriend has decided to go vegetarian, which makes me very happy because that means I can eat his delicious cooking!
My good friend Lex woke me up at 5:30am last Wednesday to catch my flight back to Bangkok. We parted with lots of hugs and well wishes, and it was an uneventful few hours of plane and bus travel down to the coastal town of Rayong. **Note: I'd like to commend all the diligent pilots, drivers, navigators, and service staff who got me in and out of every port and city exactly on time for 2 weeks. Thank you!** Having been very frugal for the 1st week and a half of my trip, I threw money to the wind for the last few days. It was part intention and part necessity, as it turned out Koh Samet was much more expensive than I had expected. Expectations can be a funny thing...I was told by numerous people that Koh Samet would be so beautiful, quiet, and enjoyable so I went with high hopes, which came up a bit short. But back to Wednesday, after an expensive taxi and boat ride - for which I found out later I had vastly overpaid - I arrived at the touristy beach of Wong Dueng. The ferry ride was a relaxing 45 minutes on a fairly empty boat, sitting in the shade reading my book. We pulled into the white sand beach and a "water taxi" of sorts ferried us from our boat to the shore. I began this relaxing beach getaway by slipping and falling into the knee deep ocean, and trudging to shore with partially wet luggage. I was unconcerned about finding accommodations since the beach was lined with resorts and bungalows, so I sat down at a beach front table and, flagging down a waiter after about 10 minutes, had a Thai Iced Tea and sat in my soggy Thai pants reading my book. This was the general attitude of the wait staff on Wong Dueng beach. Unless they were dragging you into a restaurant to eat fresh fish or BBQ steak, they could care less about your need for food or beverage. I was commonly greeted with "What do you want" (imagine a brisk, unsmiling tone) as I walked up to a table, and then either left alone for 10-15 minutes or pestered immediately for an order. Because of this general negative attitude, I had a hard time loving Koh Samet. I am easily affected by the mood of those around me and not meeting a friendly Thai person in my 3 day stay really turned me off, especially compared to the people in the north. However, it was incredibly beautiful, pretty quiet, and very laid back. I read 2 books, relaxed in the shade of a beach umbrella, played in the salty ocean, and ate too much ice cream. Not really things to complain about, I know. I think my mood was also unsettled by a touch of loneliness. Most other tourists were accompanied by families, significant others, or Thai girlfriends, and most of them were not native English speakers - Scandinavians, Germans, and French primarily. My last afternoon I met a nice yoga teacher from the states who was living on Koh Samet, but until that time I kept to myself, just chatting up the odd Korean traveler. The best part was my bungalow. Although ant infested to begin with (it was pretty nasty), it ended up nice, quiet, and perfectly located between Wong Dueng and the next beach, which was far quieter. From my porch, I had a view of the ocean and a little rocky shore where I meditated and did yoga morning and afternoon. Large, flat, eroded stones covered this side beach and I just plopped my mat down on a dry rock for some (more) alone time.
Friday afternoon I got on a ferry back to the port town of Ban Phe and stayed there in the most expensive accommodation yet for my last night in Thailand. I sat in my brand new guest room, watched Thai TV, and read for the whole evening. Early Saturday morning I took a taxi, then bus up to the Bangkok airport for my 3pm flight to Seoul. I flew Jin Air, a budget Korean airline and, I believe a subsidiary of Korean Airlines. My ticket was cheap enough, so I can't complain about the lack of entertainment and refreshment on the 5 hour flight. I stayed with John again in Seoul and we had a delicious pastry & coffee breakfast before I flew back to Jeju Sunday around noon.
It has always been overwhelming to me to come back to Korea after going to another country. In the past year and a half, I've had the pleasure of going on 4 international trips, and it never ceases to surprise me just how loud and in a hurry Koreans are. From the moment their flight is called, most Korean travelers practically run onto the plane and immediately upon touchdown their seat belts are off, cell phones on, and luggage out as they race up the aisle to disembark. This is not without shoving, I can assure you. It's not rude here, just the way it's done. However, it does bring a smile to my face when I touchdown in Jeju and walk into my sleepy airport, into a crazy taxi ride, and home to my cozy apartment. Traveling always leaves me with an appreciation of my ordinary life and, in this instance, really made me appreciate and miss living in Seattle. I make no guarantees, but right now I'm really considering a long stay in my hometown after next year's adventures in SE Asia.
All in all, Thailand was great. Perfect weather, very nice people, way too much shopping, delicious food, interesting classes, and lots of sleep. Just the reprise I needed from the dreary Korean winter. Today is the first day of our last 2 weeks of school for the 2009 school year and, not at all surprisingly, 2 classes have no-showed. If time allows today, which I think it will, I'll put my pictures up. I don't expect to work too hard for the next month and will, hopefully, be refreshed for the new school year come March 1st. I know it's going to fly by and I'll be packing up my Korean life before you know it. I'm just looking forward to warmer weather and beach camping season. And before that, I'm so excited for my mom's visit next month!
On a completely unrelated note, I've decided to give up alcohol for the next month. I did very little drinking in Thailand and felt kind-of crappy the very few times I did have a beer. February will be devoted to healthy food, meditation, and going to the gym. My boyfriend has decided to go vegetarian, which makes me very happy because that means I can eat his delicious cooking!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Back to the big city
Well, I'm not in Pai anymore. That's what I said to Rob as were coming into the city in our mini-bus. It's a very good thing I came to Chiangmai before Pai. If it were the other way around, I don't think I would have been nearly as happy to spend 8 days in this bustling city. I like Chiangmai, but I really like the slow pace and quiet of Pai with shops & cafes called "Slow Living" and "The Chill Spot". A bit more authentic Thailand, although touristy as anything.
That said, I have about 12 hours left here. I just got a haircut, and I'm doing the last bit of shopping - more shopping?! - at the Night Bazaar this evening, then I'll grab a taxi about 5am to the airport. That will be followed by a 3 1/2hour bus to the shore and a 45 min ferry to the island of Ko Samet. Tomorrow, the beach!
There is one thing that's been bothering me. In Pai there were a handful of blind Thai people, and one with no legs, walking around with karaoke machines and microphones singing for money. I couldn't help but think of "Slumdog Millionaire" and those begging schemes portrayed with the victims being those who lose body parts to collect money for mafia bosses. I heard similar stories about Chiangmai and people who beg on the street with no hands. This is very unsettling to me. The question is, do you give them money? Knowing (or assuming) any cash just goes to the top and not the people with physical disabilities? This is all I could think about as I wandered the streets of Pai last night and saw one such person on every street, walking and singing for hours and hours.
That said, I have about 12 hours left here. I just got a haircut, and I'm doing the last bit of shopping - more shopping?! - at the Night Bazaar this evening, then I'll grab a taxi about 5am to the airport. That will be followed by a 3 1/2hour bus to the shore and a 45 min ferry to the island of Ko Samet. Tomorrow, the beach!
There is one thing that's been bothering me. In Pai there were a handful of blind Thai people, and one with no legs, walking around with karaoke machines and microphones singing for money. I couldn't help but think of "Slumdog Millionaire" and those begging schemes portrayed with the victims being those who lose body parts to collect money for mafia bosses. I heard similar stories about Chiangmai and people who beg on the street with no hands. This is very unsettling to me. The question is, do you give them money? Knowing (or assuming) any cash just goes to the top and not the people with physical disabilities? This is all I could think about as I wandered the streets of Pai last night and saw one such person on every street, walking and singing for hours and hours.
Monday, January 25, 2010
And so quickly the end of Pai
Rob was very easily talked into renting a motorbike and taking me along on an afternoon country drive. Our drive took us up and over the surrounding hills, through hairpin turns, rolling countryside, and quiet local villages, our destination being a series of caves about 45km northwest of Pai. The caves were a surprisingly awesome find. We were loaded onto a bamboo raft for 5 minutes, which felt exactly like the beginning of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, but real people and real caves, then walked through cavern after cavern of limestone caves. I don't think I can do it justice so I'll wait until pictures can talk for me. The ride back was surprisingly quick and we just beat the sun as we cruised into the now sleepy Pai. Most of the Thai tourists cleared out Sunday afternoon so it's been much quieter up here the past 2 days. After our long ride, Rob & I were both famished so we decided on a swanky Thai resort restaurant for dinner. Of course, the meal still cost less than $10 for the both of us with 2 courses each and a bottle of beer. Back over the rickety bamboo bridge and to our Riverside bungalows, we settled into our respective huts for an evening read. I went back out an hour later and, as I was walking a few streets I hadn't explored yet, I bumped into a fellow guest from Noi's in Chiang Mai. I knew he was coming into Pai and was not altogether surprised to see him finishing dinner at a sidewalk table. We wandered the streets together chatting and caught a live acoustic set at an outdoor bar. I was pretty sleepy, so Tomer, the aforementioned travel, walked me back to my bungalow and we said goodnight. And it was a good night, much quieter, warmer, and cozier than the previous evening. I slept like a very happy baby.
Monday was another early morning as the sun peeked through my thatched roof. I had a nice long yoga practice with the sun rising in the sky before me. Rob & I grabbed breakfast - I've become partial to Thai style rice soup - and took the motorbike back out of town. The rental was for 24 hours so we figured on using it while we had it. Following another great recommendation from Emma, we climbed up to Pambok waterfall, and soaked in Thai Pui(?) Hot Spring, both a quick ride from town. Lunch back in Pai after returning the bike was more of the deliciously simple Thai food I've grown to love, fried rice and coconut shakes, and I finally got my afternoon nap in the shade. That was our intention the day before, but after getting the bike it turned into a more adventurous day than we'd planned. A wonderfully adventurous day, though. The shade creeped onto my front porch and I settled into a book and a nap. When I awoke I relocated to the river front bamboo dock and continued reading and napping. About 6:30 I was crossing the river into town and ran into Rob who'd come back to see if I wanted to have dinner. And I did! We ventured some very cheap street food of noodles, spicy sauce, and unlimited veggies to pile on. Yum! Then I had an ear of grilled corn on a stick from another street vendor. Rob was craving another coconut shake so, after a wander and a bit of shopping, we had our dessert. Then second dessert of a banana chocolate rotee. I love being on vacation. On a side note, I think I'm gaining a little weight with the help of the Korean herbal medicine I've been taking for a few months. This is a good thing. I'm sure the vacation diet's not hurting, though!
Tomorrow I'm heading back to Chiangmai in the early afternoon, 1 more night up north, then I fly to Bangkok Wednesday morning for my last 4 days on the beach in Ko Samet.
Monday was another early morning as the sun peeked through my thatched roof. I had a nice long yoga practice with the sun rising in the sky before me. Rob & I grabbed breakfast - I've become partial to Thai style rice soup - and took the motorbike back out of town. The rental was for 24 hours so we figured on using it while we had it. Following another great recommendation from Emma, we climbed up to Pambok waterfall, and soaked in Thai Pui(?) Hot Spring, both a quick ride from town. Lunch back in Pai after returning the bike was more of the deliciously simple Thai food I've grown to love, fried rice and coconut shakes, and I finally got my afternoon nap in the shade. That was our intention the day before, but after getting the bike it turned into a more adventurous day than we'd planned. A wonderfully adventurous day, though. The shade creeped onto my front porch and I settled into a book and a nap. When I awoke I relocated to the river front bamboo dock and continued reading and napping. About 6:30 I was crossing the river into town and ran into Rob who'd come back to see if I wanted to have dinner. And I did! We ventured some very cheap street food of noodles, spicy sauce, and unlimited veggies to pile on. Yum! Then I had an ear of grilled corn on a stick from another street vendor. Rob was craving another coconut shake so, after a wander and a bit of shopping, we had our dessert. Then second dessert of a banana chocolate rotee. I love being on vacation. On a side note, I think I'm gaining a little weight with the help of the Korean herbal medicine I've been taking for a few months. This is a good thing. I'm sure the vacation diet's not hurting, though!
Tomorrow I'm heading back to Chiangmai in the early afternoon, 1 more night up north, then I fly to Bangkok Wednesday morning for my last 4 days on the beach in Ko Samet.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Pai: Day 1
It was a twisty, turny, beautifully scenic van ride to Pai. Before I left, I said to Lex, "I'd like to sit next to a nice Australian man on my way to Pai." I haven't met too many Aussies here in Thailand and I was just putting it out there, seeing what would happen. So we get to the "terminal" - I use the word very loosely - and poof! Here is a very nice Aussie man named Rob. We were the only native English speakers in the group and we immediately struck up a conversation about speaking foreign languages and the difficulties there in. The 4 hour van ride over the mountains was non-stop talk of politics, economics, social anthropology, and traveling. We both didn't book accommodations in Pai, being assured we'd find a place, no worries. Down to the riverfront we hiked with our full packs and were turned away from place after place. We finally found a small accommodation with 2 rooms for 200 Baht each- $4 - not far from the river. Pai is a very small town that has been very quickly converted into a mecca for wayward tourists, Rastafarians, and quiet-seekers. The whole town is colored in red, yellow, and green and "One Love" is posted somewhere on every block. Reggae music rolls from car stereos and cafes. Rob & I wandered up the crowded main street in search of dinner and found a great roof-top balcony where we paid next to nothing for a scrumptious Thai dinner. The main street is lined with vendors, bars, and cafes and we did some window shopping and eventually sat down at a sidewalk bar for Singha beer and people watching. We settled into a conversation about meditation and my new traveling companion expressed his desire to start a daily practice, but also his lack of knowledge on the subject. Well, he stumbled into the right person! We planned to meditate together the next morning to start his new daily practice. **It's amazing to me how we can find just what we're looking for as soon as we become aware that we're looking for it.** Rob was very interested in these lanterns you can light on fire and float up into the sky so we bought a few of the crepe-paper creations at a sidewalk vendor and walked down to a riverfront bar to light them. We tied 2 together and, with the help of some locals and tourists, sent them off into the sky. The physics behind it is you start this wax ring burning and the ensuing smoke fills the crepe paper cylinder until the heat lifts it right out of your hands and into the sky. It was a blast! I got some good pictures I'll post next week. After a few fruit juices at the open-air bar, we returned back to our rooms to surprisingly find a bar attached to the lower floor. The walls, it turned out, were made merely of woven bamboo and we were both kept awake by bar patrons drinking and talking until late followed by the roosters who start their wake-up calls way before dawn, then motorbike engines blaring down the quiet street. It was also refreshingly chilly and the bedding was just a thin blanket. On the plus side, the mosquito netting worked wonders and I wasn't bothered by buzzing or biting when I did manage to get to sleep.
Around 9am we met up and decided to take our meditation practice down to the previous evening's riverside dock. It was warm and quiet and we settled in for a short practice, then inquired about accommodation at the quaint bungalows. For about $1 more than we paid last night, we each got a private bungalow just a few steps from the river front, comfy porches with cushions for napping and the odd hammock strung from palm trees lining the walkways. We've just finished a nice western-style porridge and muesli brekkie and now I think it's time for a lay by the river. We're talking of renting a motorbike - Rob races bikes and I wouldn't trust myself to drive one in my wildest dreams - and exploring the surrounding hills this afternoon. Pai is surrounded by countless waterfalls, hot springs, and caves. I think 3 nights here will be too short, but I'm ready to enjoy every moment I'm here.
Around 9am we met up and decided to take our meditation practice down to the previous evening's riverside dock. It was warm and quiet and we settled in for a short practice, then inquired about accommodation at the quaint bungalows. For about $1 more than we paid last night, we each got a private bungalow just a few steps from the river front, comfy porches with cushions for napping and the odd hammock strung from palm trees lining the walkways. We've just finished a nice western-style porridge and muesli brekkie and now I think it's time for a lay by the river. We're talking of renting a motorbike - Rob races bikes and I wouldn't trust myself to drive one in my wildest dreams - and exploring the surrounding hills this afternoon. Pai is surrounded by countless waterfalls, hot springs, and caves. I think 3 nights here will be too short, but I'm ready to enjoy every moment I'm here.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Saturday morning
My van to Pai picks up here in about 3 minutes. It's a beautiful warm Saturday and I'm sad to leave my new friends in Chiangmai, but happy to go to a new place, see new things and meet new people! Yesterday afternoon I had my last massage class which ended with a surprise hour massage for me. I'm a little sore this morning from some deep stuff she did in my upper back and sacrum, but it was goo-ooo-oood. This morning we had our last session of Ruseri Dat Ton. All of us were feeling some physical and emotional tensions, each for our own reasons, and we talked a lot about the specific breathing practice in this particular style of yoga. It is very unique, unlike anything I've done before. It's meant as a therapy, not an exercise program, and when used right is said to open energy blockages, increase circulation and create a lot of prana (chi, energy) in the body. I'm anxious to try it over the next week. Got my yoga mat, ready to go. To Pai!
The end of Chiangmai
Catching up from Thursday...
Angel walked into Noi's cafe just as I was coming down to breakfast. We had a quick bite together and she told me herself and a few others from her hostel were going out to North Gate Jazz Co-op for live music that evening, another great tip from Emma which I also discovered a few days before. I invited Lex, who works at Noi's, to join us and she very gladly accepted. Three hours of yoga later, Angel and I headed into the city to find the Thai Airways office. I needed to change my domestic plane ticket to a few days earlier so I can catch some beach time before I fly out of Bangkok next weekend. On our way, we passed an organic bakery with homemade ice cream, breads, nut butters, and baked goods. So after the quick 5 minute transaction with a friendly Thai Airways representative, we backtracked and did an indulgeous lunch. I had multi-grain bread, a very rare treat in Asia, cashew nut butter, and coconut ice cream. Oh delicious. Of course, I also had to pick up some egg-free coconut cookies for the road, which I am enjoying as I am writing this!
Then followed day 4 of massage class. There's something really good about getting 2 hours of massage every day. After class I had a nice simple green curry with veggies with the regulars outside of Noi's House, then walked to the other side of the city to attend a locals meditation group. The meditation was in a beautiful space near the west wall of the city simply called 'The Yoga Studio'. The group - 'Green Papaya Sangha' - is in it's 3rd year of regular meetings. It was an even mix of ex-pat locals and tourists, some who have a regular meditation practice and some who are just beginning or returning to the practice. We practiced for about an hour beginning with 15 minutes of guided sitting meditation, then 15 minutes of walking meditation, and ending with 20 minutes of quiet sitting meditation. They were constantly reminding you to come back and be present with the simple sound of a bell, so when your mind slipped off into some thought or idea, you were gently reminded to let go and come back to the moment. I didn't know exactly what I was attending when I showed up, and I was quite pleasantly surprised by a relaxing practice in a supportive community. I quietly walked back via the south wall to Noi's and picked up Lex for our girls night out.
Getting out of our TukTuk, we were pleased to meet a bar full of patrons and a sultry alto voice spilling out into the warm street. We found our group sitting on the open-air balcony enjoying the band from above. The best part of the evening was the drummer, a large Thai man with quite an energetic performance. You know those instrumentalists who are really fun to watch because they do crazy things with their faces - usually unconsciously? Well he was one of those guys, but totally consciously and wicked fun! I got one of his solos on video, I'll post it next week. Lex hadn't had dinner, so we left about midnight and walked to a nearby street market for some sweet&sour noodle soup. She told me the name of the soup about 10 times, but I've forgotten it. Tuktuk home, bed. Thus ended another fabulous Chiangmai day.
Angel walked into Noi's cafe just as I was coming down to breakfast. We had a quick bite together and she told me herself and a few others from her hostel were going out to North Gate Jazz Co-op for live music that evening, another great tip from Emma which I also discovered a few days before. I invited Lex, who works at Noi's, to join us and she very gladly accepted. Three hours of yoga later, Angel and I headed into the city to find the Thai Airways office. I needed to change my domestic plane ticket to a few days earlier so I can catch some beach time before I fly out of Bangkok next weekend. On our way, we passed an organic bakery with homemade ice cream, breads, nut butters, and baked goods. So after the quick 5 minute transaction with a friendly Thai Airways representative, we backtracked and did an indulgeous lunch. I had multi-grain bread, a very rare treat in Asia, cashew nut butter, and coconut ice cream. Oh delicious. Of course, I also had to pick up some egg-free coconut cookies for the road, which I am enjoying as I am writing this!
Then followed day 4 of massage class. There's something really good about getting 2 hours of massage every day. After class I had a nice simple green curry with veggies with the regulars outside of Noi's House, then walked to the other side of the city to attend a locals meditation group. The meditation was in a beautiful space near the west wall of the city simply called 'The Yoga Studio'. The group - 'Green Papaya Sangha' - is in it's 3rd year of regular meetings. It was an even mix of ex-pat locals and tourists, some who have a regular meditation practice and some who are just beginning or returning to the practice. We practiced for about an hour beginning with 15 minutes of guided sitting meditation, then 15 minutes of walking meditation, and ending with 20 minutes of quiet sitting meditation. They were constantly reminding you to come back and be present with the simple sound of a bell, so when your mind slipped off into some thought or idea, you were gently reminded to let go and come back to the moment. I didn't know exactly what I was attending when I showed up, and I was quite pleasantly surprised by a relaxing practice in a supportive community. I quietly walked back via the south wall to Noi's and picked up Lex for our girls night out.
Getting out of our TukTuk, we were pleased to meet a bar full of patrons and a sultry alto voice spilling out into the warm street. We found our group sitting on the open-air balcony enjoying the band from above. The best part of the evening was the drummer, a large Thai man with quite an energetic performance. You know those instrumentalists who are really fun to watch because they do crazy things with their faces - usually unconsciously? Well he was one of those guys, but totally consciously and wicked fun! I got one of his solos on video, I'll post it next week. Lex hadn't had dinner, so we left about midnight and walked to a nearby street market for some sweet&sour noodle soup. She told me the name of the soup about 10 times, but I've forgotten it. Tuktuk home, bed. Thus ended another fabulous Chiangmai day.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Another day in Thailand
Chiangmai internet down...busy days...
Wednesday:
As I sit to reflect on the past 2 days, I am accompanied by the cacophony of stray animals around our little street. In Chiangmai there is no shortage of stray dogs and cats. Many of them have owners but wander the streets, many live at temples whose residents respect animals as humans and are happy to accept them as part of their community, and many just roam endlessly through the bustling city. Occasionally they will converse about one thing or another and keep me awake at night above the sounds of night clubs and my clunky ceiling fan. Or, like last night, I may be kept up by the Muay Thai fight one street down and the hundreds of cheering (or jeering) patrons. At least the weather is - what's that word?? Oh yeah...Perfect. With a capital P. Cool enough to sleep, warm enough for shorts and a tank top, but not humid or sweat inducing, unless, like me, you're doing 3 hours of yoga and 4 hours of massage class a day.
Yesterday I started my morning Ruseri Dat Ton class, 15 hours of study in the next 5 days. We, myself and Angel, the other student, are learning the first 50 poses broken down into 10 per day. That doesn't sound like a lot, but the Ruseri Dat Ton style allows for plenty of meditation, warm-up before and between postures, relaxation, and repetition. Each pose we do 3-5 times, sometimes on each side of the body if it's a side bend or single leg asana. We get it done in exactly the 3 hours allotted with one break for fresh fruit and ginger tea. The pace of the practice is directed by each inhale and exhale which are very slow, controlled, and usually held for 5-10 seconds. After doing the Saturday class, I have a little feel for how a 1 1/2 hour practice or class should flow, so it's good now to learn the poses step by step with a thorough teacher.
Back to Juicy4U for lunch followed by a strong, short Americano and a few minutes to read in the shade before afternoon massage class. We continued studying supine positions on the lower body and abdomen, completing about 40 basic massage techniques in 2 days, many of them repetitious but used on different body parts. A few minutes to 6pm I walked the long 10 steps back to my guest house where I devoured a small plate of fried rice and a glass of fresh fruit juice for dinner, which, by the way, is getting cheaper every time I eat there. It pays to know people. Another tuk-tuk and I was back at Wat Suan Dok, the temple outside the western gate of the Old City. I met Liem again who gave me a Theravada Buddhist chanting book in English and taught me a few basic chants. He and his friend graciously showed me around the temple grounds and as we passed the great hall, we walked out to one of the most glorious sights I've ever seen. The central pagoda was refurbished a few years ago and is now covered in gold and surrounded by royal stone tombs. It sits just behind the traditional hall which has an unmistakably Thai style rooftop, intricately carved wood bedecked with shining stones and dragon carvings. As we rounded the far wall of the great hall, the evening light had just faded into a soft navy blue and the golden apex of the giant pagoda caught the light of the shining crescent moon directly above. A handful of twinkling stars completed this decadent scene. It was breathtaking.
After my long walk home around the outside wall of the Old City, I was struck with a stark contrast to this quiet beauty. As I passed bar after bar, scantily clad Thai women - and girls - sat and stood in the doorway offering massages, drinks, and I honestly don't wish to know what else to all passersby. On the one hand, these woman have jobs and hopefully make and keep their own money. It seems that homelessness isn't a very big problem here, just from what I've observed. On the other hand, I'm always sad to see the extent to which this trade exists, especially in the tourist areas. Oddly enough, just outside these same bars, restaurants, and massage parlors is an alter to the Buddha onto which every morning are placed offerings of flowers, food, incense, and prayers. These two extremes seem to co-exist harmoniously.
This morning was more of the same, coffee, baby bananas and rice for breakfast with Lex, then 9am yoga with Angel and Napa, my instructor. We begin each morning with a chant to the founder of Thai healing and an invocation of healing in ourselves to help others. Then meditation, slow, gentle warm-ups, a bit of review, and 10 new Ruseri Dat Ton poses. Angel and I are both yoga teachers so it's nice to be approaching this new practice from the same place. I invited Angel to lunch after yoga and we went back to my favorite organic, vegetarian spot for cashew mixed veggies with brown rice and carrot, lime, ginger juice. We had a nice long talk about our backgrounds learning and teaching yoga, traveling, and how we happened to be in Thailand. Like most tourists I've met here, she is staying about 3 months. I'm a little jealous of these long-term travelers since I have to go back to work in 1 1/2 weeks in cold, Korea, but it also makes me excited for my next long excursion after my contract is up in August. Many were right when they warned me I won't want to leave Thailand. Life can be good for an ex-pat here. Very good.
Day 3 of massage school and we moved up to upper body. Hooray! Some difficult practices for me with side massage, but good to know for modifying positions and getting into tight hips. My big 'aha!' moment today was that therapy doesn't need to hurt. I really like my physical therapy in Korea and I know it's doing a lot of good for my back, but it hurts like hell every time. This is the Korean way. One day I said to my doctor, "I hate acupuncture! It hurts!" He replied flatly, "Everybody hates it." So I either just deal with it or quit. I'll meditate on that while I'm here, do some more Thai massage, and see how I feel when I get back to Korea. I've paid through 3 more treatments, anyway. I could just come back here for a month of intense therapy, pay about the same for living and treatment as I'm paying just for therapy in Korea - which is still 10 times less than I'd pay in America - and not have to be afraid of just how much my 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours of therapy will hurt as I leave school 2 days a week.
After massage class I was flat out exhausted. I wandered aimlessly looking for dinner and settled on spring rolls, veggie wonton soup, and Thai iced tea a few streets down. There's a nightly meditation at a temple in the city that I thought about attending tonight, but I needed a night off! I'm on vacation, after all! Time for some relaxing yoga and bed.
Wednesday:
As I sit to reflect on the past 2 days, I am accompanied by the cacophony of stray animals around our little street. In Chiangmai there is no shortage of stray dogs and cats. Many of them have owners but wander the streets, many live at temples whose residents respect animals as humans and are happy to accept them as part of their community, and many just roam endlessly through the bustling city. Occasionally they will converse about one thing or another and keep me awake at night above the sounds of night clubs and my clunky ceiling fan. Or, like last night, I may be kept up by the Muay Thai fight one street down and the hundreds of cheering (or jeering) patrons. At least the weather is - what's that word?? Oh yeah...Perfect. With a capital P. Cool enough to sleep, warm enough for shorts and a tank top, but not humid or sweat inducing, unless, like me, you're doing 3 hours of yoga and 4 hours of massage class a day.
Yesterday I started my morning Ruseri Dat Ton class, 15 hours of study in the next 5 days. We, myself and Angel, the other student, are learning the first 50 poses broken down into 10 per day. That doesn't sound like a lot, but the Ruseri Dat Ton style allows for plenty of meditation, warm-up before and between postures, relaxation, and repetition. Each pose we do 3-5 times, sometimes on each side of the body if it's a side bend or single leg asana. We get it done in exactly the 3 hours allotted with one break for fresh fruit and ginger tea. The pace of the practice is directed by each inhale and exhale which are very slow, controlled, and usually held for 5-10 seconds. After doing the Saturday class, I have a little feel for how a 1 1/2 hour practice or class should flow, so it's good now to learn the poses step by step with a thorough teacher.
Back to Juicy4U for lunch followed by a strong, short Americano and a few minutes to read in the shade before afternoon massage class. We continued studying supine positions on the lower body and abdomen, completing about 40 basic massage techniques in 2 days, many of them repetitious but used on different body parts. A few minutes to 6pm I walked the long 10 steps back to my guest house where I devoured a small plate of fried rice and a glass of fresh fruit juice for dinner, which, by the way, is getting cheaper every time I eat there. It pays to know people. Another tuk-tuk and I was back at Wat Suan Dok, the temple outside the western gate of the Old City. I met Liem again who gave me a Theravada Buddhist chanting book in English and taught me a few basic chants. He and his friend graciously showed me around the temple grounds and as we passed the great hall, we walked out to one of the most glorious sights I've ever seen. The central pagoda was refurbished a few years ago and is now covered in gold and surrounded by royal stone tombs. It sits just behind the traditional hall which has an unmistakably Thai style rooftop, intricately carved wood bedecked with shining stones and dragon carvings. As we rounded the far wall of the great hall, the evening light had just faded into a soft navy blue and the golden apex of the giant pagoda caught the light of the shining crescent moon directly above. A handful of twinkling stars completed this decadent scene. It was breathtaking.
After my long walk home around the outside wall of the Old City, I was struck with a stark contrast to this quiet beauty. As I passed bar after bar, scantily clad Thai women - and girls - sat and stood in the doorway offering massages, drinks, and I honestly don't wish to know what else to all passersby. On the one hand, these woman have jobs and hopefully make and keep their own money. It seems that homelessness isn't a very big problem here, just from what I've observed. On the other hand, I'm always sad to see the extent to which this trade exists, especially in the tourist areas. Oddly enough, just outside these same bars, restaurants, and massage parlors is an alter to the Buddha onto which every morning are placed offerings of flowers, food, incense, and prayers. These two extremes seem to co-exist harmoniously.
This morning was more of the same, coffee, baby bananas and rice for breakfast with Lex, then 9am yoga with Angel and Napa, my instructor. We begin each morning with a chant to the founder of Thai healing and an invocation of healing in ourselves to help others. Then meditation, slow, gentle warm-ups, a bit of review, and 10 new Ruseri Dat Ton poses. Angel and I are both yoga teachers so it's nice to be approaching this new practice from the same place. I invited Angel to lunch after yoga and we went back to my favorite organic, vegetarian spot for cashew mixed veggies with brown rice and carrot, lime, ginger juice. We had a nice long talk about our backgrounds learning and teaching yoga, traveling, and how we happened to be in Thailand. Like most tourists I've met here, she is staying about 3 months. I'm a little jealous of these long-term travelers since I have to go back to work in 1 1/2 weeks in cold, Korea, but it also makes me excited for my next long excursion after my contract is up in August. Many were right when they warned me I won't want to leave Thailand. Life can be good for an ex-pat here. Very good.
Day 3 of massage school and we moved up to upper body. Hooray! Some difficult practices for me with side massage, but good to know for modifying positions and getting into tight hips. My big 'aha!' moment today was that therapy doesn't need to hurt. I really like my physical therapy in Korea and I know it's doing a lot of good for my back, but it hurts like hell every time. This is the Korean way. One day I said to my doctor, "I hate acupuncture! It hurts!" He replied flatly, "Everybody hates it." So I either just deal with it or quit. I'll meditate on that while I'm here, do some more Thai massage, and see how I feel when I get back to Korea. I've paid through 3 more treatments, anyway. I could just come back here for a month of intense therapy, pay about the same for living and treatment as I'm paying just for therapy in Korea - which is still 10 times less than I'd pay in America - and not have to be afraid of just how much my 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours of therapy will hurt as I leave school 2 days a week.
After massage class I was flat out exhausted. I wandered aimlessly looking for dinner and settled on spring rolls, veggie wonton soup, and Thai iced tea a few streets down. There's a nightly meditation at a temple in the city that I thought about attending tonight, but I needed a night off! I'm on vacation, after all! Time for some relaxing yoga and bed.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Day 4 in Thailand
Waking up around 8:30am (again with no alarm, I'm quite impressed with myself!), I strolled the 10 minutes to Blue Garden Yoga for an hour long Vinyasa class with a Dutch ex-pat teacher. My arms are feeling it today! I don't usually do Vinyasa because it's not the best for my shoulder and upper back issues, but I was acutely aware yesterday and did not strain or hurt anything. I actually used the right muscles for the right poses. The studio was walled in glass on 2 sides and open to palm trees, sunshine and mosquitos on the other 2, with a small stream and water wheel playing a soothing soundtrack for our class. I said a quick hello and goodbye to my French friend who was off to the Chinese Embassy for a visa. (A note for those wishing to go to China: I hear it's cheaper and easier to get a visa in Thailand than in other countries. Worth a try if you're interested...) I stopped at my favorite veggie restaurant and juice bar on the way back to my guesthouse for a double shot of wheatgrass juice and a tropical fruit & spirulina smoothie. Mmm! Then I sat around and chatted on the sunny terrace with a few of the Noi's House employees and their children drinking coffee for the rest of the morning. Around noon I grabbed my book and journal, paid a visit to the Buddhist temple across the street, then found a shady spot to sit in the grass and sketch a tree. I'm not a visual artist, but drawing with the monks last weekend reminded me that there are so many things we miss with a quick glance, and taking the time to commit an image to paper helps the artist to see the details and be present. By then I was hungry! So off to another veggie house for a toasted whole wheat sandwich and a soy mocha.
Monday was the start of my Basic Thai Massage course and I was met by Napa, the teacher my friend had recommended, with a warm smile and a cup of ginger tea. We talked about the fundamentals of Thai massage and how they relate to Ruseri Dat Ton, the Thai yoga I'm learning. We spent the next 4 hours studying the first 20 techniques of supine - laying down - Thai massage. The time flew by and I loved every minute of it. My teacher is kind, honest, and encouraging. Having a one-on-one session is the best practical way to learn because she tells me about the techniques, she gives me a massage, then I practice on her. I'm sure she gets a lot of not-so-good massages, but hopefully mine weren't too bad! I'll certainly need some practice when I get back to Jeju. Any volunteers?
I had a date to meet my monk friend after class at the English Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, a temple about 10 minutes outside the city, so I hopped in Tuk-tuk - open-air taxi with a scooter engine - and arrived around 6:30. Unfortunately, he was not there, but I talked with several monks for an hour and a half about Buddhist principles and charitable work they are doing with Burmese refugees. Chiangmai is only about 4 hours from the Burma border and there are thousands of displaced families and orphaned children living both on the Thai side and in the mountains of Burma who have been forced to leave their homes by the goverment and cannot find work or food in the cities. The monks at Wat Suan Dok bring clothing, food, and medicine once a month, weather permitting. There are no roads and if there is heavy rainfall, the makeshift villages are unreachable. I was offered a ride back into the city by a very nice English ex-pat who also runs a charity for Burmese refugees and, on our way, we ran into a huge festival. I hopped out at a busy corner and followed the crowd into Wat Cheng Lien (sp?) where a 10 story high crematorium with burning a monk in a big celebration of his life and contributions. There were fireworks, music, food, and thousands of people who had come to watch the burning. I wandered around the gargantuan temple - the name actually means "huge relic" for the large Buddha statue in the center pagoda - and ran into my monk friend! He said he had tried to wait for me, but wanted to come to the festival with some friends. We talked and walked around the grounds and make plans to meet later tonight so he can teach me some Theravada Buddhist chanting. By the time I made it back to Noi's House it was after 10pm and I was ready for bed.
Monday was the start of my Basic Thai Massage course and I was met by Napa, the teacher my friend had recommended, with a warm smile and a cup of ginger tea. We talked about the fundamentals of Thai massage and how they relate to Ruseri Dat Ton, the Thai yoga I'm learning. We spent the next 4 hours studying the first 20 techniques of supine - laying down - Thai massage. The time flew by and I loved every minute of it. My teacher is kind, honest, and encouraging. Having a one-on-one session is the best practical way to learn because she tells me about the techniques, she gives me a massage, then I practice on her. I'm sure she gets a lot of not-so-good massages, but hopefully mine weren't too bad! I'll certainly need some practice when I get back to Jeju. Any volunteers?
I had a date to meet my monk friend after class at the English Monk Chat at Wat Suan Dok, a temple about 10 minutes outside the city, so I hopped in Tuk-tuk - open-air taxi with a scooter engine - and arrived around 6:30. Unfortunately, he was not there, but I talked with several monks for an hour and a half about Buddhist principles and charitable work they are doing with Burmese refugees. Chiangmai is only about 4 hours from the Burma border and there are thousands of displaced families and orphaned children living both on the Thai side and in the mountains of Burma who have been forced to leave their homes by the goverment and cannot find work or food in the cities. The monks at Wat Suan Dok bring clothing, food, and medicine once a month, weather permitting. There are no roads and if there is heavy rainfall, the makeshift villages are unreachable. I was offered a ride back into the city by a very nice English ex-pat who also runs a charity for Burmese refugees and, on our way, we ran into a huge festival. I hopped out at a busy corner and followed the crowd into Wat Cheng Lien (sp?) where a 10 story high crematorium with burning a monk in a big celebration of his life and contributions. There were fireworks, music, food, and thousands of people who had come to watch the burning. I wandered around the gargantuan temple - the name actually means "huge relic" for the large Buddha statue in the center pagoda - and ran into my monk friend! He said he had tried to wait for me, but wanted to come to the festival with some friends. We talked and walked around the grounds and make plans to meet later tonight so he can teach me some Theravada Buddhist chanting. By the time I made it back to Noi's House it was after 10pm and I was ready for bed.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Day 3 in Thailand
Today was a beautiful day! It was a bit cooler than yesterday and I spent most of the morning drinking coffee, eating Thai rice & vegetable soup, and chatting with Lex who works at Noi's House. I downgraded to a smaller and cheaper room and I'll stay here for the week. After changing rooms I went for a quiet walk out to Mae Ping river where I sat in the shade and people watched. I wanted to go there last night but the streets were a bit dark and ominous after my pad thai dinner (so yummy) so I waited until today. Around 1pm I arrived at a Thai cooking school and spent the next 4 hours making vegetarian Thai food with a Danish and German couple. I was just thinking this morning that I wanted to meet some Germans to refresh my German language and - poof! - there they were. Unfortunately, I was not brave enough to speak more than a few sentences. These days, every time I try to put a few words together in another tongue it comes out Korean. However, the cooking was a success! I was the only one making vegetarian food, so I made green curry paste, a veggie curry dish, and a TVP and sweet basil dish alone with my instructor, Toon. The Danish couple and I made Thai spring rolls together, and all 5 of us feasted on our deserts of fried bananas with ice cream and mango with sticky rice. It was all very easy, if you can find the right ingredients, and I'm excited to cook Thai food back in Korea! I wandered off a side street on the way back to my guesthouse and met a few locals, then took a well-deserved nap. Today was the weekly "Sunday Walking Market" just inside the Old City gate and I intended to do my souvenir and gift shopping here where, I had heard, prices were better than even the Nightly Bazaar. I don't think it was true, but there were some unique crafts and I bargained, haggled, and bought plenty. I even gave in and sat down for a sidewalk Thai foot massage. I figure, although probably not a great quality massage, it's worth the experience and definitely the 60 Baht (roughly $2US). After 2 1/2 days of strictly Thai food, I was ready for a change in menu so I tried some Middle-Eastern cuisine at a packed cafe called Jerusalem Falafel. I was escorted to an empty table for 6, but ended up joining a solo French traveler and we talked for an hour about Asia, teaching, travel and yoga over falafel and hummus. He showed me a little vinyasa yoga studio nearby where I'll join him for a morning class tomorrow. The wonderful part about traveling alone is having an excuse to meet people and talk with both locals and foreigners. This is exactly the way I like to experience other cultures. Now for a banana smoothie and bed.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Day 1 in Thailand
I did not intend to blog from Thailand. Therefore, I did not bring my camera adapter and I cannot publish pictures at this time. But after my amazing day today, I had to blog! (Plus, there's a very cheap high speed internet cafe on either side of my guest house which makes it hard to resist.)
So! Day 1:
It's a quick 5:45 flight from Seoul to Bangkok. Customs & Immigration took about 10 minutes, I ate some quick & tasty Thai food at the airport and then the flight from Bangkok to Chiangmai was 1 hour on a huge airplane with exceptional service. My friend Emma had recommended a few guest houses in Chiangmai so I just picked one and had the taxi driver drop me in front. Of course they had availability so I got an air-con room for 500 Baht a night (roughly $15US). Looking out my window, there was the massage school I'll be attending next week! So convenient, thanks, Emma. I packed my camera and a few Baht(Thai currency) and meandered out around dusk to, unexpectedly, find the "Night Bazaar". Vendor after vendor after food stall of Thai goods (well, mostly Thai, some "Made in China", of course) and picked up some dried mango, Thai pants, and a watch. I think I'll wear Thai pants every day for the rest of my life. They're like wearing pajamas but acceptible in public. And very comfy for yoga. I spent the evening back at my guest house eating a nice dinner of veggie red Thai curry and planning out the stuff I don't to miss in Chiangmai. And then I slept like a baby.
Day 2:
I awoke to the sunrise out my 2nd floor room, warm and snuggly with about an hour before my scheduled Rueseri Dat Tan, or Thai Yoga class. A quick shower to wash away the previous evening's bug repellant in the Asian style shower-nozzle-on-the-bathroom-wall, on came the Thai pants, and a strong cup of coffee in the open-air cafe later and I was ready for my 1st Ruseri Dat Tan class. And it was great. My teacher spoke very little English, but it was easy to follow her movements and simple explanations. The studio is open on 2 sides to pink flowers, palm trees, and the calm Thai breeze, and the class begins with 10 minutes of meditation as the sounds of birds caress your waning thoughts. The 1 1/2 hour class was closer to 2 1/2 hours and took us through 10 poses I had done before, but in interesting variations and linked with specific breathing patterns that I have never experienced. I decided to take a full 15 hour course next week, so I'll be learning this style of yoga for 3 hours in the morning and basic Thai massage for 4 hours in the afternoon all next week. I know that's a lot of studying, but I came on this vacation as a personal retreat and these are the things I like to do on my personal retreats. I've been walking past "Trekking adventures" advertisements all day and, as much fun as they may be, I think I'll prefer to just stay quietly in Chiangmai and practice healing arts for the next 7 days.
After I left Loikroh Massage School, it was noon and time for some lunch! I headed in the direction of the 'Old City' which is surrounded by stone walls, gates, a moat, and a very busy road, and ran into Juicy4U, a vegetarian cafe & juice bar. Vegetarian food is, contrary to Korea, very easy to find in Thailand. However, most standard menus have only one or 2 choices. This place was great! I had pineapple, beet, ginger & carrot juice, and a northern style Thai noodle soup which was little on the spicy side. Yum! I think this'll be my home cafe for the next week since it's just a 10 minute walk away and will be a nice stop between morning yoga and afternoon massage. Consulting my guide map, I continued to explore the city for the next 2 hours, stopping at craft markets and a few batik shops mostly in search of Temples. I found 3 or 4 - there are over 300 in Chiangmai - and at the oldest and biggest I casually said hi to three young monks sitting in the shade, drawing the golden pagoda in front of them. The oldest asked if I'd like to join them, so I sat down to sketch the peak of an ancient shrine in ballpen. As the monk made a twig and grass exhibition with our sketches, we started chatting in English. He was warm and friendly, with the genuine smile I've only see on monks, and his English was refreshingly clear and well-pronounced. Janpur Liem, this 23 year old Laotian monk, graduated from a Buddhist University in Chiangmai the year before with a major in English, (he wanted to major in Buddhist Studies but, due to the lack of students, the major was closed) and is now helping his 2 younger brothers follow a similar path. He told me a lot about the Theravada Buddhism that is practiced in this part of Southeast Asia. We talked of the different practices of Buddhism in Asian countries and how each evolved from their unique social and spiritual culture. We laughed about monks who think it's okay to drink alcohol and wear plain clothes, and commiserated on the difficulty of expressing your true meaning in a foreign tongue. Finally after about an hour and a half, he excused himself to walk through the city with his brothers, and I continued on to a few more temples and an afternoon coffee stop at Wawee, a Thai coffee chain. A sidenote: Thai coffee is deliciously strong and flavorful and I'm already sad to go back to Korea where you pay $4-5 for a weak Americano. That about brings us up to speed. I'm currently sitting at a juice bar next door to my guesthouse using 65 cent an hour internet. I'll probably downgrade to a non-air conditioned room at my guesthouse for the next 6 nights. It's about 80 degrees F and not hot or humid enough to necessitate air conditioning. I think I'll head towards the river to find some live music a little later or check out the free live folk music from 8:30-10:30 at the Night Bazaar. Tomorrow I've arranged a cooking class in the afternoon, and Monday afternoon I start Thai Massage class. I also, tentatively, plan to meet my new monk friend Monday evening to learn some Thai Buddhist chanting. Maybe I'll squeeze in a massage tomorrow morning or grab a Tuk-Tuk out to a famous mountain temple with a beautiful view of Chiangmai city.
I had a thought last night as I walked through the bustling street market: I feel at home in Asia. Thailand is unique and this city is unique, but it's definitely Asian. It's not such a culture shock for me because I'm used to crowded streets, spicy foods, tiny fruit markets, neon signs, temples, and constantly hearing a foreign language. Thailand is certainly different from Korea, and from Japan and the Philipines - the only Asian countries I've been to - but they have a similar feeling. I don't think I can describe it, nor could I attempt to do it justice. But I am happy here.
So! Day 1:
It's a quick 5:45 flight from Seoul to Bangkok. Customs & Immigration took about 10 minutes, I ate some quick & tasty Thai food at the airport and then the flight from Bangkok to Chiangmai was 1 hour on a huge airplane with exceptional service. My friend Emma had recommended a few guest houses in Chiangmai so I just picked one and had the taxi driver drop me in front. Of course they had availability so I got an air-con room for 500 Baht a night (roughly $15US). Looking out my window, there was the massage school I'll be attending next week! So convenient, thanks, Emma. I packed my camera and a few Baht(Thai currency) and meandered out around dusk to, unexpectedly, find the "Night Bazaar". Vendor after vendor after food stall of Thai goods (well, mostly Thai, some "Made in China", of course) and picked up some dried mango, Thai pants, and a watch. I think I'll wear Thai pants every day for the rest of my life. They're like wearing pajamas but acceptible in public. And very comfy for yoga. I spent the evening back at my guest house eating a nice dinner of veggie red Thai curry and planning out the stuff I don't to miss in Chiangmai. And then I slept like a baby.
Day 2:
I awoke to the sunrise out my 2nd floor room, warm and snuggly with about an hour before my scheduled Rueseri Dat Tan, or Thai Yoga class. A quick shower to wash away the previous evening's bug repellant in the Asian style shower-nozzle-on-the-bathroom-wall, on came the Thai pants, and a strong cup of coffee in the open-air cafe later and I was ready for my 1st Ruseri Dat Tan class. And it was great. My teacher spoke very little English, but it was easy to follow her movements and simple explanations. The studio is open on 2 sides to pink flowers, palm trees, and the calm Thai breeze, and the class begins with 10 minutes of meditation as the sounds of birds caress your waning thoughts. The 1 1/2 hour class was closer to 2 1/2 hours and took us through 10 poses I had done before, but in interesting variations and linked with specific breathing patterns that I have never experienced. I decided to take a full 15 hour course next week, so I'll be learning this style of yoga for 3 hours in the morning and basic Thai massage for 4 hours in the afternoon all next week. I know that's a lot of studying, but I came on this vacation as a personal retreat and these are the things I like to do on my personal retreats. I've been walking past "Trekking adventures" advertisements all day and, as much fun as they may be, I think I'll prefer to just stay quietly in Chiangmai and practice healing arts for the next 7 days.
After I left Loikroh Massage School, it was noon and time for some lunch! I headed in the direction of the 'Old City' which is surrounded by stone walls, gates, a moat, and a very busy road, and ran into Juicy4U, a vegetarian cafe & juice bar. Vegetarian food is, contrary to Korea, very easy to find in Thailand. However, most standard menus have only one or 2 choices. This place was great! I had pineapple, beet, ginger & carrot juice, and a northern style Thai noodle soup which was little on the spicy side. Yum! I think this'll be my home cafe for the next week since it's just a 10 minute walk away and will be a nice stop between morning yoga and afternoon massage. Consulting my guide map, I continued to explore the city for the next 2 hours, stopping at craft markets and a few batik shops mostly in search of Temples. I found 3 or 4 - there are over 300 in Chiangmai - and at the oldest and biggest I casually said hi to three young monks sitting in the shade, drawing the golden pagoda in front of them. The oldest asked if I'd like to join them, so I sat down to sketch the peak of an ancient shrine in ballpen. As the monk made a twig and grass exhibition with our sketches, we started chatting in English. He was warm and friendly, with the genuine smile I've only see on monks, and his English was refreshingly clear and well-pronounced. Janpur Liem, this 23 year old Laotian monk, graduated from a Buddhist University in Chiangmai the year before with a major in English, (he wanted to major in Buddhist Studies but, due to the lack of students, the major was closed) and is now helping his 2 younger brothers follow a similar path. He told me a lot about the Theravada Buddhism that is practiced in this part of Southeast Asia. We talked of the different practices of Buddhism in Asian countries and how each evolved from their unique social and spiritual culture. We laughed about monks who think it's okay to drink alcohol and wear plain clothes, and commiserated on the difficulty of expressing your true meaning in a foreign tongue. Finally after about an hour and a half, he excused himself to walk through the city with his brothers, and I continued on to a few more temples and an afternoon coffee stop at Wawee, a Thai coffee chain. A sidenote: Thai coffee is deliciously strong and flavorful and I'm already sad to go back to Korea where you pay $4-5 for a weak Americano. That about brings us up to speed. I'm currently sitting at a juice bar next door to my guesthouse using 65 cent an hour internet. I'll probably downgrade to a non-air conditioned room at my guesthouse for the next 6 nights. It's about 80 degrees F and not hot or humid enough to necessitate air conditioning. I think I'll head towards the river to find some live music a little later or check out the free live folk music from 8:30-10:30 at the Night Bazaar. Tomorrow I've arranged a cooking class in the afternoon, and Monday afternoon I start Thai Massage class. I also, tentatively, plan to meet my new monk friend Monday evening to learn some Thai Buddhist chanting. Maybe I'll squeeze in a massage tomorrow morning or grab a Tuk-Tuk out to a famous mountain temple with a beautiful view of Chiangmai city.
I had a thought last night as I walked through the bustling street market: I feel at home in Asia. Thailand is unique and this city is unique, but it's definitely Asian. It's not such a culture shock for me because I'm used to crowded streets, spicy foods, tiny fruit markets, neon signs, temples, and constantly hearing a foreign language. Thailand is certainly different from Korea, and from Japan and the Philipines - the only Asian countries I've been to - but they have a similar feeling. I don't think I can describe it, nor could I attempt to do it justice. But I am happy here.
Friday, January 8, 2010
It's all good
No really, English camp was fine.
We were blessed with 10 positive, enthusiastic, caring foreign teachers and 10 equally supportive Korean teachers, 2 camp supervisors who saved our butts, and really enthusiastic kids. And good snacks which makes everybody happy. All in all, the camp was a big success I'm very happy to say. The kids were excited to be there, we ended up with a good mix of teaching, making crafty stuff and games, and everyone was appreciative of everyone else's efforts. All of the foreign teachers raved about my school and how well-behaved the kids were which made me very appreciative of my school. All the Korean teachers thanked me profusely and are genuinely happy that (so I've been told) I'll be staying at my school for my last semester in Korea. And, lastly, I remembered that it's perfectly acceptable to improvise in the classroom and that you can plan 4 hours of teaching in 10 minutes if you have to.
The dinner party was also a success, thank you for asking. Vegetarian potluck for a few good friends.
I just found out that I have Monday off since the camp I'm teaching this next week switched dates very last minute (yes, the Korean way!) I'll be teaching a very similar version of the same camp next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday,and then off to warmer places. Well, one very cold night in Seoul (it hasn't been above -10C in a few weeks) and 2 then warm weeks in Thailand (averaging 20-30C). Aaaaahhh, I'm really looking forward to my vacation. I'm taking a 5 day Thai Massage course, studying some traditional Thai yoga and that's all I have planned. I'm sure temple visits or temple stays - Thai Buddhism is very different from Korean, Tibetan, or Japanese Buddhism, perhaps a beach day or two, sleep, and delicious Thai food and drinks - making and eating - are on the list. If you've been to Thailand and have any pointers for northern cities, I'm open to suggestions. I'm just ready to be out of the cold for a few weeks.
We were blessed with 10 positive, enthusiastic, caring foreign teachers and 10 equally supportive Korean teachers, 2 camp supervisors who saved our butts, and really enthusiastic kids. And good snacks which makes everybody happy. All in all, the camp was a big success I'm very happy to say. The kids were excited to be there, we ended up with a good mix of teaching, making crafty stuff and games, and everyone was appreciative of everyone else's efforts. All of the foreign teachers raved about my school and how well-behaved the kids were which made me very appreciative of my school. All the Korean teachers thanked me profusely and are genuinely happy that (so I've been told) I'll be staying at my school for my last semester in Korea. And, lastly, I remembered that it's perfectly acceptable to improvise in the classroom and that you can plan 4 hours of teaching in 10 minutes if you have to.
The dinner party was also a success, thank you for asking. Vegetarian potluck for a few good friends.
I just found out that I have Monday off since the camp I'm teaching this next week switched dates very last minute (yes, the Korean way!) I'll be teaching a very similar version of the same camp next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday,and then off to warmer places. Well, one very cold night in Seoul (it hasn't been above -10C in a few weeks) and 2 then warm weeks in Thailand (averaging 20-30C). Aaaaahhh, I'm really looking forward to my vacation. I'm taking a 5 day Thai Massage course, studying some traditional Thai yoga and that's all I have planned. I'm sure temple visits or temple stays - Thai Buddhism is very different from Korean, Tibetan, or Japanese Buddhism, perhaps a beach day or two, sleep, and delicious Thai food and drinks - making and eating - are on the list. If you've been to Thailand and have any pointers for northern cities, I'm open to suggestions. I'm just ready to be out of the cold for a few weeks.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
An English Camp Rant
So my school's bi-annual English camp starts tomorrow. This has been the biggest headache for my co-teacher, myself, and all those involved. Instead of the usual 1 foreign teacher, 1 co-teacher and about 80 kids, our camp has 10 foreign teachers, 10 Korean teachers and about 240 students, a very minimal lesson plan and a lot of fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants teaching. It has involved months of crying and bitching and unfortunate misunderstandings between my co-teacher, my principal, and myself. So with camp starting in T-minus 15 hours I just received a "lesson plan" which is so minimal I have to laugh so I don't cry. I'm the only teacher who has received it - and only because I called and called those in charge to complain about the lack of planning - and I'm freaking out a little. Plus they're printing a "book" for our students in which the English is so, so, so poorly written by a Korean. I'm a moderate control freak about my classes and the English program at my school. (For example, I spend at least 1-2hours planning every hour I teach - for my previous camps I've planned for 2 months for 1 week of camp.) This is a BIG lesson in letting go for me and I need to focus my efforts there instead of being really frustrated, confused, and expecting the worst. Especially since I have dinner guests coming over in less than 2 hours, a very messy apartment, and no dinner on the way. AAAAARGHHHH! I hope to report positive results on Friday. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, I could really use some peace and surrender if anyone wants to send some my way.
Happy New Year!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)