I arrived in Phnom Penh this morning and it truly is an eye opening place! I want to spend most of this blog writing about my experience today, but first let tell you a bit about my time in Bangkok. I arrived on Chinese New Year so I headed down to China Town to check out the festivities and to be apart of all the exciting energy. It really did feel like I stepped out of Thailand and straight into China. Lots of people, shops packed to the ceiling with too much stuff, carts of festive food, banners and decorations - basically lots of busyness, and I had a great time getting swept away by it all. It was a stark contrast to my experience at a lovely little art gallery earlier in the day, which was also really amazing. I got to talk with each of the artists (in broken Thia/English of course) as they stood around with excitement watching people marvel at their paintings. Asians really have an incredibly artistic talent, and I had a wonderful time taking it all in. The next day I went to the King's palace bright in early hopping to beat the crowd, but I soon realized that would be nearly impossible. There were so many tourists from every corner of the world that the people watching was really a treat in itself. I sat down in a nice shady spot for a while, just enjoying the scene. Oh yeah, and the palace was pretty incredible too! It was surrounded by a huge temple with spires and pagoda's, beautifully decorated in gold and diamonds. It was quiet the sight. Then I went to Wat Po to see the reclining Buddha and receive a massage from the famous school where Thai Massage originated. The golden Buddha was gigantic, laying on his side with feet alone that were taller than a one story building. I have never seen anything like it... actually, I realize I have been saying that a lot the past 5 months! Each time I see something new I am blown away, it's really amazing!
And today was no exception, because I was truly introduced to a new perception of reality when I stepped foot into Cambodia. It's definitely much different than the life that I had gotten comfortable with in Thailand. It is much much poorer here, and most people are focused on where their next meal will come from rather than visiting beautiful temples. When I landed into the tiny international airport at the capital city of Phnom Penh, with only two airplane ramps, I realized that most people do not choose this as a tourist destination, nor do many Cambodian's get the opportunity to venture outside of their country. At that moment I felt overwhelmed with humility at having gotten to travel and see so much of the world. Right away I took a tuk tuk to the CCH orphanage where I will be voluteering for the next month. Traveling on the road, I could only see open fields of dust and some run down shops lined with a few people walking around. I remember thinking "Where are all the people?" It felt intensely deserted, which was a stark reminder that the Khemer Rouge masacure was only 30 years ago! Pol Pot took over in 1975 and ruled for only four short years, but in that time he killed off 1/4 of the entire population. There is definitely a heaviness in the air a distant look in the peoples eyes, like they know of way too much sadness to ever erase the memory from their minds. The majority of the population is around my age all who were born after the Khemer Rouge fell, which leaves a huge gap among the people. There are few elderly people still living, and an overwhelming population of orphaned children. Which brings me to the beautiful CCH.
The orphanage is a bit outside of the Phnom Penh city, and when I arrived I was warmly greeted by two young girls bouncing with excitement to see me. They spoken good English, were excited to learn my name, where I was from and how long I would be staying. One of the girls took my hand with care and showed me around. The main area is painted a bright cheery yellow and the walls are decorated with posters spelling out English, Cambodian and French phrases and words. There are three floors of classrooms and I was surprised to find that they have desks and chalk boards. There is a separate area where the children all sleep, which I have not seen. As a few boys poped their little heads out of the rooms to say wave hello, I learned that their are around 50 children currently living at the orphanage. I will be volunteering each day from 8-4, and I gave the sweet owner (who they call Papa Sokha) a list of things that I would love to teach the children... yoga, English, sewing, jewelery making and cooking. Tomorrow is my first day, so I will let you know how it all goes!
I am staying about 20 minutes from CCH in the main area of Phnom Penh which overlooks the Mekong River. It is much more crowded here in the city, with tuk tuks, motorbikes and the occasional cars. Just like Thailand, there are street markets and vendors selling food (although not nearly as many) and lots of small shops that double as families homes in the evening. I saw a documentary today at a local restaurant on Cambodia's history, before and after the Khemer Rouge, and it's pretty shocking how different the city actually looks from the early 1970's. It was a thriving place with a strong middle class, lots of jobs, beautiful temples, tall buildings and rising tourism. Now it is still very disheveled, with trash strewn everywhere, only a few temples left standing and all of tall buildings have yet to be rebuilt. There are not that many foreigners here, and the few that are gather in one area of the town where the restaurants and bars are, away from the actual life of the city. Since traveling, it has really surprised me that although we crave to visit new places, we would rather do so by observing it from a distance and by surrounding ourselves with the comfort of other tourists. It's as if we are afraid of letting ourselves realize that people living in other countries are just as human as we are, even if they look different and may have less material wealth. No matter what it appears to be the surface, we are all exactly the same. Despite the poverty, everyone I have met so far has been incredibly friendly, going out of their way to help me. The Cambodian's are very sweet people who are deeply routed in the peaceful teachings of the Buddha. Regardless of their recent devistating histroy, they have this incredably gentel presence. Not to mention they all seem overjoyed to hear that I am from the states and will be working at an orphanage for the next month. I spoke with a very kind man today while gazing out to the Mekong River, and he said to me in very clear English, "it is so nice that people from America want to come over here and help the poor people. It is very hard for us here." I had to fight back tears as we spoke, and it made me feel so grateful to be in this very place at this very moment. It's not just me here in Cambodia, it's all of you sitting right next to me!
I love you all dearly
April
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
One Last Glimpse
Hi everyone. I hope you are all doing really well back home and that you are surrounded by lots of love. I have been thinking so much about you all lately, and really feeling a strong connection with home. Over the past week I've gotten reconnected with some family and friends, which has been such a wonderful breath of fresh air! Not to mention the perfect boost I needed to carry on with this last part of my journey. I'm starting to get really excited about Cambodia and feeling re-inspired to work with the orphaned children. I've learned that I will be teaching yoga and English, as well as showing the little girls how to cook, sew and make jewelry. I think it's going to be a really amazing experience! I leave on Sunday morning for Bangkok and will stay long enough just to visit a few of the sights that I have been wanting to see - the king's palace, Wat Po (the famous temple with a giant reclining Buddha statue), the floating market (yes, all of the vendors actually ride around in little canoes selling their crafts and produce on a river), and the worlds largest China Town. Yep, I think two days will be just enough time. And if any of you have ever been with me to a big city or some place where there is a lot of business, you know I get distracted and overwhelmed pretty easily! So, I'm looking at these next few days as an adventure as well as an adrenaline rush. This will be one of those places where it's nice to visit, but also nice to leave. And don't worry, I promise to be aware and careful the whole time.
So this last week in Chiang Mai has felt like I am just now seeing it for the first time. It's interesting when we live some place how we tend to take it for granted. Like the amazing mountains in Colorado! I realize that when I am back home I am so busy most of the time that when I finally do stop and take in our sky line, it absolutely takes my breath away! That's how it's been the past few days here - I've been walking around breathless most of the time, with eyes wide in amazement! It's been so much fun! So I thought I would write a bit about the people, culture, way of life and environment so you all can get one last glimpse of Thailand before I leave... and before you venture over here yourself one day to see if my description is accurate!
The people are sweet, gentle and soft spoken. They laugh a lot, are always quick to offer a smile or compliment, and go out of their way to give help when needed. One of my favorite parts of the day is walking around all the cute windy side streets (called sois), or strolling past the fresh produce markets and exchanging a smile with everyone I meet. It's not called 'the land of smiles' for nothing! They like to ask where you are going or where you have been, and love to hear the foreigners make an effort at Thai - even though they also love to practice their English any chance they get. It's a laid back way of life here - people like to sleep in (the town is always pretty quiet in the mornings) and then open shops whenever they feel ready. There is defiantly no rush to do anything here, and it's really taught me to slow down, which was much needed! They like to stay up late, eating at the street markets and gathering with friends and family. Food is a huge part of Thai culture, and it's rare to see someone who is not eating, or at least on their way to grab a quick bite. There are food stalls and streets markets everywhere, with the most amazing things to try! Thai's would much rather eat on the side of the street than sit down at a restaurant, because it's such a social part of their day. It's really fun to sit on the side of a busy road at a plastic table eating authentic Thai food surrounded by tons of people, yet not feeling the least bit rushed or overwhelmed. They have a really gentle and relaxed energy, even in what would appear to be the most hectic situations. This is also a country of offerings, because people make daily or weekly visits to the many Buddhist temples to meditate, pray and pay their respects. There are flower markets everywhere, with the most bright colors and beautiful varieties you could ever imagine. In Asian culture, flowers represent personal enlightenment - each one starts out as a tiny seed and then blooms into it's own beautiful expression. Just as each one of us travels through our lives, growing every step of the way and striving towards our greatest potential.
The sky here is so big and usually free of clouds (although in the rainy season it's the exact opposite). The clouds usually trickle in at night making it harder to see the stars, but the moon is always bright and visible from anywhere in the city. The sunsets are incredible, although I still think our Colorado sky is the most beautiful I have ever seen. Right now the mornings are usually the coldest part of the day, warming up by lunch time and cooling off again once it gets dark. There is so much greenery, flowers, bamboo and tall trees everywhere that it's hard to believe I'm actually living in a city! People love to plant flowers, usually over-pouring entire restaurants and guest houses with tropical potted varieties. There are cats and dogs roaming around the streets because the Thai's don't really like to keep animals as pets, thinking that it restricts their freedom... although ironically, they really like to dress up tiny tea cup dogs like babies in the most wild outfits - it's pretty interesting! Gosh, I could go on and on about the people and culture here forever but instead of writing about it, I think I'd rather leave this internet cafe and go out to experience it! I will have to show you the pictures when I get back, they are worth much more than words!
I love you all and miss you dearly! I will write again once I'm settled into Phenom Penh!
Sending a big hug your way
April
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Less than two weeks away!
I can't believe it's almost time to leave! I feel like I just arrived a little over a month ago. Time really does go by so fast! I've been here about 3 1/2 months, and next Sunday I will pack up my home in Chiang Mai to head into Bangkok for a short two day visit. Right now I am having lots of mixed emotions about leaving... excitement, fear, anticipation, sadness and contentment. It's been really interesting observing how these different feelings ride through me like tidal waves, one rolling right into the next. And it's not that I can do anything to lessen the impact of the water each time it hits the sore line... I just have to breathe, knowing that these emotions are my teachers, and that I'm learning a little more about myself each day. Thailand has become a comforting place to call home these past three months, and now it feels a bit hard to leave. I have found some really beautiful connections here, but I know in my heart that these friendships will stay with me forever... no matter the time or space between. This is the exact same feeling I had when leaving home in September and parting with so many of you - a deep knowing that you would each stay with me throughout the entire journey. And you really have! You've all been weaved into each and every experience, and it's been truly amazing! Now as I leave Thailand, I have faith that this deep connection I've found here will always be within my heart.
Speaking of friends from home, I received the most beautiful gift last week when my friend from Denver, Monica Salazar, arrived here in Chaing Mai. Such a breath of fresh air right from the snowy mountain tops of Colorado! She has been studying public health in Bangkok with her university for the past two weeks, and is now ventured north for the rest of her program. I've been feeling a little disconnected from life and people back home for a while now, so seeing Monica's familiar face was a really grounding feeling. I joined their small group of 9 on a day long adventure up to the famous temple here called Wat Doi Suthep, which sits on top of a mountain overlooking all of Chaing Mai. I visited this Wat (meaning temple in Thai) my first week in town, but it was really nice to come back towards the end of my journey to experience it again with new eyes. I am now more familiar with some of the costumes and traditions, and had a nice time paying respect to Buddha's teachings- both externaly and internaly. Later that day, our group ventured about 30 minutes outside of town to an elephant camp located in the middle of an amazing tropical forest. Elephants are the official animals of Thailand, so they are highly respected and prized here. Sadly, with the rise of tourism most of these beautiful animals have been exploited to make money, leaving almost none left in the wild. During Monica's stay in Bangkok she saw many elephants walking down the busy streets with their trainers on their backs, begging for food and money. Although I had some mixed emotions at the camp seeing their feet tied down in chains, I did feel grateful that they were surround by so many other elephants to play with in a beautiful natural setting, and not to mention the trainers seemed to really love and care for them. We got to feed them bananas and sticks of bamboo, and pet their long rough trunks. I was just amazed at how sweet and gentle these huge animals were, and had the most wonderful time just playing and talking with them. It was a really great experience!
The rest of my time here has been spent through quality time with friends before it's time to leave, and wrapping up all my amazing classes. I taught my final class at the Buddhist University last week, and it felt like a bittersweet good bye. They are all truly wonderful students with such amazingly bright futures! It really was a pleasure to work with them. Oh, and just to let you know, they really enjoyed the people watching activity and seemed to learn a lot about behavior just by observing how people carry themselves. Psychology is around us all the time isn't it? I am also teaching my last few classes at Freedom House, which is really going to be a sad good bye this coming Monday night. I had a break from the school while it closed down for a month long vacation so the founder, Lisa, could fundraise back in the states. Last week was my first class back, and it felt really nice. I remember how overwhelmed I was durring my first night teaching, because I had never worked with English as a second language learners before. I have become so comfortable teaching over the past few months that being with them on Monday night felt more like play time with a bit of learning thrown in between. I've come to realize that's truly the way kids learn best. My time at Freedom House has been so sweet, and was the most amazing preparation for my time in Cambodia. Lastly, this coming week is the end of my teaching yoga at Wild Rose and Namo, which brings this beautiful circle to a close. I've come to truly love the students and community surrounding both of these magical places, and feel absolutely blessed to have gotten the opportunity to offer the gift of yoga inside their doors. It's changed my teaching and personal practice so much, that each day I step onto my yoga mat I feel closer to my truth. This is just one of the gifts I will always carry with me from my time here in Chiang Mai.
Please keep me in your best intentions as I prepare for the last part of my journey, you all have been such amazing support the entire way. Thank you for being in my life, and for keeping me in your heart while I've been exploring this amazing world we live in. It's been incredible!
I also wanted to let you know that pigs grew wings and I finally joined facebook! If some of you reading this do not know what that is, don't worry, I didn't either for the longest time. But if you do, please join me as your friend because I'm still learning how to use it and how to locate people. One of my friends here, Ali, signed me up and gave me a crash course for dummies so I could stay in touch with everyone once I leave. Between blogging and facebooking, I feel like I'm finally starting to join the 21st century... it's an interesting experience!
Love you and miss you all
April
Speaking of friends from home, I received the most beautiful gift last week when my friend from Denver, Monica Salazar, arrived here in Chaing Mai. Such a breath of fresh air right from the snowy mountain tops of Colorado! She has been studying public health in Bangkok with her university for the past two weeks, and is now ventured north for the rest of her program. I've been feeling a little disconnected from life and people back home for a while now, so seeing Monica's familiar face was a really grounding feeling. I joined their small group of 9 on a day long adventure up to the famous temple here called Wat Doi Suthep, which sits on top of a mountain overlooking all of Chaing Mai. I visited this Wat (meaning temple in Thai) my first week in town, but it was really nice to come back towards the end of my journey to experience it again with new eyes. I am now more familiar with some of the costumes and traditions, and had a nice time paying respect to Buddha's teachings- both externaly and internaly. Later that day, our group ventured about 30 minutes outside of town to an elephant camp located in the middle of an amazing tropical forest. Elephants are the official animals of Thailand, so they are highly respected and prized here. Sadly, with the rise of tourism most of these beautiful animals have been exploited to make money, leaving almost none left in the wild. During Monica's stay in Bangkok she saw many elephants walking down the busy streets with their trainers on their backs, begging for food and money. Although I had some mixed emotions at the camp seeing their feet tied down in chains, I did feel grateful that they were surround by so many other elephants to play with in a beautiful natural setting, and not to mention the trainers seemed to really love and care for them. We got to feed them bananas and sticks of bamboo, and pet their long rough trunks. I was just amazed at how sweet and gentle these huge animals were, and had the most wonderful time just playing and talking with them. It was a really great experience!
The rest of my time here has been spent through quality time with friends before it's time to leave, and wrapping up all my amazing classes. I taught my final class at the Buddhist University last week, and it felt like a bittersweet good bye. They are all truly wonderful students with such amazingly bright futures! It really was a pleasure to work with them. Oh, and just to let you know, they really enjoyed the people watching activity and seemed to learn a lot about behavior just by observing how people carry themselves. Psychology is around us all the time isn't it? I am also teaching my last few classes at Freedom House, which is really going to be a sad good bye this coming Monday night. I had a break from the school while it closed down for a month long vacation so the founder, Lisa, could fundraise back in the states. Last week was my first class back, and it felt really nice. I remember how overwhelmed I was durring my first night teaching, because I had never worked with English as a second language learners before. I have become so comfortable teaching over the past few months that being with them on Monday night felt more like play time with a bit of learning thrown in between. I've come to realize that's truly the way kids learn best. My time at Freedom House has been so sweet, and was the most amazing preparation for my time in Cambodia. Lastly, this coming week is the end of my teaching yoga at Wild Rose and Namo, which brings this beautiful circle to a close. I've come to truly love the students and community surrounding both of these magical places, and feel absolutely blessed to have gotten the opportunity to offer the gift of yoga inside their doors. It's changed my teaching and personal practice so much, that each day I step onto my yoga mat I feel closer to my truth. This is just one of the gifts I will always carry with me from my time here in Chiang Mai.
Please keep me in your best intentions as I prepare for the last part of my journey, you all have been such amazing support the entire way. Thank you for being in my life, and for keeping me in your heart while I've been exploring this amazing world we live in. It's been incredible!
I also wanted to let you know that pigs grew wings and I finally joined facebook! If some of you reading this do not know what that is, don't worry, I didn't either for the longest time. But if you do, please join me as your friend because I'm still learning how to use it and how to locate people. One of my friends here, Ali, signed me up and gave me a crash course for dummies so I could stay in touch with everyone once I leave. Between blogging and facebooking, I feel like I'm finally starting to join the 21st century... it's an interesting experience!
Love you and miss you all
April
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Creative Expressions
Today I spent the afternoon researching new material for my psychology class tomorrow, and I'm feeling very inspired! We are going to talk about cycles of sleep and how our unconscious feelings, desires and fears all play a huge role in our dreams. I am having a lot of fun reading up on theories and gaining a greater understanding for what it means to be a human being. Psychology is really just the study of the self, which then leads us to compassion for all walks of life... two things that have really been huge parts of this journey for me. So of course it's been just wonderful exploring this topic with the monks at the Buddhist University, and I'm a bit sad to say that tomorrow is my last class. This past week I met one of my students at his temple because he wanted to give me a Christmas gift in appreciation for teaching their class. We spent the morning sitting outside on the temple grounds, talking like old friends. He gave me the most beautiful scarf and I walked away feeling completely humbled. This entire trip I'm continually amazed at how much people want to share with me, event hough they may have much to give. So many people have opened up their hearts and welcomed me into their amazing world. Each day I continue to see the beauty in all of human life, and it inspires me to live with the intention to spread that same love back to the world.
Speaking of feeling inspired, another side of of my trip that I have been enjoying is exploring my own creativity. I find that back at home I was always so busy, rushing from one task to the next, that I started to leave less and less time to do all the things I enjoy. I believe we are each artists of our own life, and that we have the power to create the most beautiful paintings using whatever colors or techniques we choose. A good way for me to stay in touch with my life's intentions is to stay close to my personal hobbies and interests... other wise I really can't be creative in my daily experience. Writing has been one of the main things that I've come back to, and it's been such a blessing. I used to write kids books when I was young and loved creative writing classes in high school and college... but some where along the way came responsibilities of the world, and I forgot to make room for it in my daily practice. Finding time for it again feels like I have come back home to a child who has been patently waiting at the door with her arms wide open! In addition to writing to all of you beautiful people in my blog once a week, I free style everyday in my journal and have started exploring poetry too, which is so much fun!
Besides writing, I'm also making time for a lot of arts and crafts... knitting scarves and a bit of sewing, but mainly making jewelry. I've found the most beautiful bead shop at one of the markets, and bought myself so many amazing things. Last weekend we had a jewelry making party at one of the studios I teach at, Namo, and it was really nice to share different creative styles and techniques with one another. I'm really taking a lot of Asian style home with me, and it's pretty fun! Last bit of creative expression I've been exploring is singing, and wow has it been a journey! Growing up I always told myself I can dance to music but that I'm challenged when it comes to creating it. Because I had told myself I was horrible so many times, it become my reality... as most of you would agree if you had ever heard my voice. But when I was in India we did so much chanting during our early morning meditations, that I suddenly began to find my voice! It was a different kind of singing from what I was used to, because this came from my heart rather than my head. The first time I heard it, I remember thinking "where the heck did you come from?" but now I realize that fear was just holding me back from authentically expressing myself in a way that was truly from the core of my being. I guess that is what this entire trip has been about. Finding my true self and not being afraid to express it fully. That's what I love about writing in this blog... it's totally just me, no facade and no made up stories. it's been really nice! Ok, back to singing... we have kirtan about every other week at Wild Rose which is an Indian chanting tradition where people come together to sing, play instruments and support one another in our true expression. I really love chanting along with everyone, but until recently I've started singing with a smaller group and that has been fun too. My friend Jo has put together a singing collective where we come together once a week to sing gospel music, and it is such a blast!!! Imagine this... people from every corner of the world sitting in a yoga studio in Thailand harmonizing the soulful sounds of southern gospel music? It's such a blast! We recorded it last night just for fun, and we actually sounded pretty good!
Ok, so enough about me... Long story short, I just want to say I hope you all are giving yourself some time during the busyness of the weeks to explore whatever it is that makes you happy. Something totally carefree and creative that you used to do when you were younger but have forgotten about along the years. Or even something you have always told yourself you could never do or that you couldn't possible be good at. Life is too short to just live by the daily routine. And each day is way too beautiful to not branch out and try something new!
I love you all and miss you so much!
April
Speaking of feeling inspired, another side of of my trip that I have been enjoying is exploring my own creativity. I find that back at home I was always so busy, rushing from one task to the next, that I started to leave less and less time to do all the things I enjoy. I believe we are each artists of our own life, and that we have the power to create the most beautiful paintings using whatever colors or techniques we choose. A good way for me to stay in touch with my life's intentions is to stay close to my personal hobbies and interests... other wise I really can't be creative in my daily experience. Writing has been one of the main things that I've come back to, and it's been such a blessing. I used to write kids books when I was young and loved creative writing classes in high school and college... but some where along the way came responsibilities of the world, and I forgot to make room for it in my daily practice. Finding time for it again feels like I have come back home to a child who has been patently waiting at the door with her arms wide open! In addition to writing to all of you beautiful people in my blog once a week, I free style everyday in my journal and have started exploring poetry too, which is so much fun!
Besides writing, I'm also making time for a lot of arts and crafts... knitting scarves and a bit of sewing, but mainly making jewelry. I've found the most beautiful bead shop at one of the markets, and bought myself so many amazing things. Last weekend we had a jewelry making party at one of the studios I teach at, Namo, and it was really nice to share different creative styles and techniques with one another. I'm really taking a lot of Asian style home with me, and it's pretty fun! Last bit of creative expression I've been exploring is singing, and wow has it been a journey! Growing up I always told myself I can dance to music but that I'm challenged when it comes to creating it. Because I had told myself I was horrible so many times, it become my reality... as most of you would agree if you had ever heard my voice. But when I was in India we did so much chanting during our early morning meditations, that I suddenly began to find my voice! It was a different kind of singing from what I was used to, because this came from my heart rather than my head. The first time I heard it, I remember thinking "where the heck did you come from?" but now I realize that fear was just holding me back from authentically expressing myself in a way that was truly from the core of my being. I guess that is what this entire trip has been about. Finding my true self and not being afraid to express it fully. That's what I love about writing in this blog... it's totally just me, no facade and no made up stories. it's been really nice! Ok, back to singing... we have kirtan about every other week at Wild Rose which is an Indian chanting tradition where people come together to sing, play instruments and support one another in our true expression. I really love chanting along with everyone, but until recently I've started singing with a smaller group and that has been fun too. My friend Jo has put together a singing collective where we come together once a week to sing gospel music, and it is such a blast!!! Imagine this... people from every corner of the world sitting in a yoga studio in Thailand harmonizing the soulful sounds of southern gospel music? It's such a blast! We recorded it last night just for fun, and we actually sounded pretty good!
Ok, so enough about me... Long story short, I just want to say I hope you all are giving yourself some time during the busyness of the weeks to explore whatever it is that makes you happy. Something totally carefree and creative that you used to do when you were younger but have forgotten about along the years. Or even something you have always told yourself you could never do or that you couldn't possible be good at. Life is too short to just live by the daily routine. And each day is way too beautiful to not branch out and try something new!
I love you all and miss you so much!
April
Friday, January 2, 2009
Heading into 2552...
Here in Thailand the year is 2551, and the new year is celebrated around the time of Buddha's enlightenment in mid April. On local calendars and within the country this is the recognized date, but as a part of modernization and the desire keep up with the rapidly changing world, they have introduced our western date onto their calendars as well. So, new years was celebrated here on December 31st, but I think it's really just an excuse to party. The Thai people love their festivals and celebrations, extending holidays for at least a week. Street fairs, markets, parties and live music all begin 3 to 4 days before the actual holiday and usually trickle on for a few days afterwards. Usually it's hard to tell which day the holiday really falls on. Many people travel into the cities or out to the hill tribes to be with their families, so they really like to use the holidays as an extended vacation. I love this way of bringing people together because it creates such a warm and festive feel for many days at a time.
I spent new years eve up at You Sabi organic farm with a few of my friends (the same farm I stayed about a month ago), and it really was the perfect place to bring in 2009... or is it 2552?! We made lots of yummy Italian food (which was a real treat because it's something I have not had since back home) drank some wine and danced the night away. There is a really great community of people living on the farm, so it was nice to welcome in the new year surrounded by so much love. I spent at least an hour before and after midnight looking up at the incredible night sky, watching shooting stars and making my intentions for the year to come. After new years eve, we stayed on the farm a few days longer to enjoy the peaceful and beautiful surroundings. I spent my days reading and writing, doing yoga, taking long walks around the farms, laying by the reservoir, and watching the sunsets. It really felt like the perfect way to bring in 2009... and I must admit, I have a feeling this year is going to be amazing!
So what else is new with me??? Oh, I forgot to share with you a really fun opportunity I've received these past couple of weeks. My friend Joanna teaches humanities to young monks at the Buddhist University, and she went out of town for the holidays so I've gotten to sub her class. I have been teaching an intro to psychology class, and they've really enjoyed it so far. The monks have all moved to Thailand from Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in order to receive a higher education, because it really isn't possible in their home towns. I have the third year students, so they are only a few years younger than me, but no one seems to mind. The class periods have been two and a half hours long, so at first I was a bit nervous at not having enough material to teach. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that they all speak fluent English and are really great at engaging in deep discussions. They ask amazing questions, challenging even my perception of psychology... which is great, because I think it's important to constantly question our own beliefs. Our first class we spent an hour and a half talking about the self and the ego, which may sound a bit boring to some people, but I find it really interesting. My BA is in psychology, but since I studied at a western university, the approach is pretty different to the way it is viewed here in the east. I am very interested in the mind, body, soul connection- something that these monks explore daily through their meditation practices- so we really do share similar views on psychology. Last class we talked about the universality of emotions, and how they truly are the thread that strings all human beings together. When we feel sad or scared and think we are all alone, that can not be further from the truth, because everyone has felt these same basic feelings at some point in their lives. Emotions bring us together, so they must be experienced fully in order feel compassion for ourselves as well as others in our lives. Their homework for class was to people watch... something they had never heard of before! I had them sit on the temple grounds or out on the street somewhere, without judgment, try to observe what emotions people were feeling as they passed by. Even though we all experience the same basic emotions of fear, sadness, anger, happiness, love and excitment, we all may express them a bit differently, so it's nice to understand how behavior plays into our feelings as well. They all thought this sounded like a very interesting experiment! I'll have to let you know how it plays out!
Love to you all! I hope your new years was spent surrounded by lots of love and joy!
Talk to you soon!
April
I spent new years eve up at You Sabi organic farm with a few of my friends (the same farm I stayed about a month ago), and it really was the perfect place to bring in 2009... or is it 2552?! We made lots of yummy Italian food (which was a real treat because it's something I have not had since back home) drank some wine and danced the night away. There is a really great community of people living on the farm, so it was nice to welcome in the new year surrounded by so much love. I spent at least an hour before and after midnight looking up at the incredible night sky, watching shooting stars and making my intentions for the year to come. After new years eve, we stayed on the farm a few days longer to enjoy the peaceful and beautiful surroundings. I spent my days reading and writing, doing yoga, taking long walks around the farms, laying by the reservoir, and watching the sunsets. It really felt like the perfect way to bring in 2009... and I must admit, I have a feeling this year is going to be amazing!
So what else is new with me??? Oh, I forgot to share with you a really fun opportunity I've received these past couple of weeks. My friend Joanna teaches humanities to young monks at the Buddhist University, and she went out of town for the holidays so I've gotten to sub her class. I have been teaching an intro to psychology class, and they've really enjoyed it so far. The monks have all moved to Thailand from Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in order to receive a higher education, because it really isn't possible in their home towns. I have the third year students, so they are only a few years younger than me, but no one seems to mind. The class periods have been two and a half hours long, so at first I was a bit nervous at not having enough material to teach. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that they all speak fluent English and are really great at engaging in deep discussions. They ask amazing questions, challenging even my perception of psychology... which is great, because I think it's important to constantly question our own beliefs. Our first class we spent an hour and a half talking about the self and the ego, which may sound a bit boring to some people, but I find it really interesting. My BA is in psychology, but since I studied at a western university, the approach is pretty different to the way it is viewed here in the east. I am very interested in the mind, body, soul connection- something that these monks explore daily through their meditation practices- so we really do share similar views on psychology. Last class we talked about the universality of emotions, and how they truly are the thread that strings all human beings together. When we feel sad or scared and think we are all alone, that can not be further from the truth, because everyone has felt these same basic feelings at some point in their lives. Emotions bring us together, so they must be experienced fully in order feel compassion for ourselves as well as others in our lives. Their homework for class was to people watch... something they had never heard of before! I had them sit on the temple grounds or out on the street somewhere, without judgment, try to observe what emotions people were feeling as they passed by. Even though we all experience the same basic emotions of fear, sadness, anger, happiness, love and excitment, we all may express them a bit differently, so it's nice to understand how behavior plays into our feelings as well. They all thought this sounded like a very interesting experiment! I'll have to let you know how it plays out!
Love to you all! I hope your new years was spent surrounded by lots of love and joy!
Talk to you soon!
April
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