What's Goin' On?

Some of our readers have been commenting on the lack of posts...I try to let this process be organic, so I'm not sitting down to forcing myself to write, but rather letting a topic or idea come up. I've also noticed that a lot of my posts tend to communicate frustration, sadness and all the things I miss about America, so I'm trying to leave some space to let the joy of Thailand make its way into my heart.

Let me re-cap a few interesting things from this week (so far.) I got a flat front tire on Perry (our scooter) on Monday as I was driving home from school. As soon as I pulled out of the lot, I could feel it, so I pulled over to take a look and assessed that I could probably make it closer to home before stopping to see about getting it fixed. Well, pretty soon the handlebars where shaking quite a bit so I decided to go very slow and recalled that there is a shop that looks like they do bike repairs nearby (still on the way home) Remember, signs are not written in English and for places like this you kind of just have to know about them, I actually don't think this place had a sign at all. I turned the corner, pulled in and discovered I was correct, bike repair shop! It didn't matter that the guy & I couldn't communicate verbally, he knew why I was there. A head nod and a gesture to take a seat...a short wait while I watched the entire process, him tracing the numbers on the seat of my bike to tell me how much it was...and I was back on the road. It was 150 baht by the way ($4.83) In total, it took about 10 minutes. As I was sitting there I thought about this mom & pop tire place in Humboldt Park, Chicago, near Duprey School where I used to work. These are the types of places where you feel like you have to be kind of brave to even drive up, but they do quick work for really cheap. That tire place in Humboldt Park got me back on the road quickly more than once and you're not paying prices for the name, you're placing cash into the hand of the man who did the work and that feels good to me.

Second event of the week? Yesterday my school was evacuated due to flooding of the nearby Ping River. The river has been high for awhile, but Tuesday night it rained, I mean it really poured for hours, I think it was most of the night and into the morning on Wednesday. I'm not certain, but it may have been pouring for 8 hours...at 10:30ish Wednesday I was told the school was thinking about closing for the rest of the day, by 11:00 most of the kids where on their

way out the door, by noon I left with Sue (I got a ride to work yesterday because of the heavy rain.) First stop, the grocery store, I made it home by 1:00 and by 2:00 pictures were popping up on facebook, the river peaked and overflowed onto streets and middle of the night into houses. Having just gone through this, I don't envy those folks near the river who are now house-bound because of the water. It's nasty, it smells and it lingers. School was also canceled today and possibly tomorrow as well.

I'm feeling grateful that right now our neighborhood is safe and since the water hasn't made it's way into Suan Non Sri as of yet, we're probably in the clear this time.

Friends have been asking if this amount of flooding is normal. From what I've heard, it's not. The Ping River hasn't flooded in 6 years and this moobaan hadn't flooded in much longer than that. The major contributing factor is the unusually long rainy season they've had this year, I've heard that it started very early, in April.

It doesn't matter where you are...sometimes nature takes over. This past winter in Chicago, we experienced the heaviest snow fall in decades! We move half way across the world and experience the longest rainy season in years. I enjoyed those snow days! It felt like I had been given a free pass to do absolutely nothing and I loved it! I'm enjoying my flood days too (even though I don't actually have water at my house.) After doing some yoga, I plan to enjoy a flood day massage!

Baxter checking out the snow after the blizzard in Chicago...February 2011

Interesting documentation of the river rising...

And a rather dramatic version...

Home is where the heart is...or something like that

For those of you wondering, things are getting better here. Each week, I'm feeling more & more settled in, yes, there's the word; settled. My stomach is adjusting, I'm still not taking naps, but I sleep really well at night and I'm starting to find my way around the city. I challenge myself to drive somewhere new each time Fuad goes out of town for work (this week he's in Singapore and today I got myself to the Big C, which is kind of like Walmart.)

Before we left people asked loads of questions about our housing situation, and at the time I didn't know many of the answers, now I do. Our house is basically in a suburb...GASP! (Or at least that's how it feels to me.) Even though it's only a 10-15 minute drive from here to my school, which is in town. We live off a highway in the 2nd oldest mooban (neighborhood) in Chiang Mai, there are about 200 houses here. When you enter the mooban, you see many different kinds of housing structures, some are more traditional, there are some row-type homes, a few are quite large with guest quarters and gigantic yards. No matter the type of house, they all have a gate. One thing I noticed right away here is the number of dogs roaming around. You hear people refer to them as "soi dogs" (soi means street.) Some of them have owners who let them run free and some live outside within the confines of the gated yard, it seems like very few actually live inside, like Baxter! Sometimes the soi dogs spontaneously bark at the exact same time, from different yards and streets and end at precisely the same moment. It's creepy...

Our house is a 2 story with 3 bedrooms & 3 bathrooms. Fuad is using the 3rd bedroom as his home office since he's working from home 3 days a week. Our master bedroom has a patio and a king size bed. Downstairs is a large space where the living room and dining room connect. Some people back in the States wanted to know if the house was furnished and what kind of other things were included.

I would call this house partially furnished. It came with 2 beds, 2 wardrobes for the bedrooms, (usually there are no built in closets) a dining table that seats 6 and a set of rattan furniture (loveseat, 2 chairs and a table.) In the kitchen, a fridge (of course) and an oven/stove (which is not typical) The house does not have a dishwasher or a clothes washer. All the windows have curtains, they are all the same, off-white, the walls are also all off-white. No dishes, pots & pans or garbage cans came in the house.

In the time we have been here (2 months today) we have purchased...

2 sets of king-sized sheets

1 set of queen sheets (for guest bedroom)

plates, bowls, glassware, silverware, dish rack, knife set, blender, toaster, coffee maker, iron & ironing board, speakers

rugs & towels

cleaning tools & supplies

floor fan, lamps, hampers

a sofa, coffee table, shelf, floor cushions, desk & book shelf

storage for bathroom, rattan dresser for master bedroom

Ok, I think that's about it, wow! Wait...and a scooter with 2 helmets & a trunk! Setting up house has been exhausting! All of this new stuff and I keep thinking about what we left behind, what we don't have here with us, I find myself thinking about items that we packed away in storage, now in my Grandma's basement. There are items that Fuad & I currently own, that would be great to have in our new house, only thing is...they're half way across the world.

I just asked this question on facebook, "what makes your house a home?" and quite a few people have responded... Books, candles, wifi, something homemade, something baking, people you love, art & pictures hanging on the walls, music, plants & fresh flowers. I agree with all of you! I've been loving our new house and I've been enjoying setting up here & picking out new things. When everything feels too overwhelming, when I'm seeking solitude & comfort, I want this space to be our home, not just our house. I want it to feel safe & cozy, a place of refuge.

Last week, Fuad & I had dinner at the home of our new friend, Sara. As soon as I walked into her space I could feel the warmth, love & care she spent setting up her home, it was lovely. I looked around and sat in her space taking note of what it was that made it feel so nice. What did she have that we didn't have? Candles, a fluffy rug, and art & pictures hanging on the walls. Sara took me to a store that has these things and I'm happy to say that as of this evening, we have candles burning and some stuff on the walls!

(side note: I'd like to share that I packed some pictures in my suitcase, but not frames because they're too heavy and it turns out that frames are pretty expensive here. Also, that something as simple as hanging a picture on the wall seemed challenging because the walls are all concrete, not drywall, so I was thinking we needed drill in order to hang pictures, thanks to Sara, I discovered 3M Command strips, which basically work like velcro! Brilliant! Thanks Sara!)

Here are a few things I hung up this evening!

These posters were a going away gift from some of our favorite yoga students! They remind me of home because they're vintage ad posters for the South Shore Train, which I used to take home from Chicago to Michigan for many years. I hung them in the hallway by the bedrooms.

In our living room I hung these elephant paintings that Fuad & I picked out & purchased together. We loved seeing the elephants so much we wanted to have something to remember them!

CMIS Campus

Me! In my classroom.

(Notice the hair flip, that's what I'm talking about...it's from my scooter helmet, drives me crazy!)

The doorway to my classroom, I'm on a corner, so 2 walls with windows. The cabinet under the windows is where the kids take their shoes off before coming into the music room.

Around the corner from me is the secondary music room, really he has is own little building. It's cute, you can tell there are students inside learning because of the shoes lined up outside the door. He teaches band and choir.

This is the view of the other end of campus. My room is pretty much the farthest room away! When this field is dry, the kids play football (soccer) during recess there.

This is an example of the hallway, everything is open-air, but covered in case of rain. The elementary art room is here, along with a weight room and the cafeteria.

The cafeteria, I eat here everyday for breakfast and lunch. I can eat both meals with snacks and thai iced tea for about 65bht (that's about $2.10) per day! The food is made fresh and there's usually about 7 food choices for lunch.

On the way home I captured another expressive sky. Looks like a cloud fist pumping up out of the mountain.

A few of my favorite photos from Bangkok

This is one of my favorite pictures from the Royal Palace. The sky was so expressive the day we were there. This is one of the guardians of the Palace.

Interesting architecture and expressive skies made for beautiful photos...

The lovely lotus blossom on the Palace grounds.

Photos are not allowed inside with the Emerald Buddha, it was a humbling experience.

Just after sitting with the Emerald Buddha.

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Fuad & I dropped coins in the 108 brass bowls, it's said to be good luck.

The full view of the amazing Reclining Buddha.

Creatures of Habit...

As much as I love exploring new places and having new experiences I also love routine equally as much. Some of you know that Fuad & I had a crazy schedule during our last year in Chicago, but built within the insanity was routine. We found comfort in the regularity of Saturday morning brunch at 90 Miles Cafe in Logan Square after teaching yoga, and spent every Thursday night eating Mexican food in Lakeview after teaching candlelight yoga.

It wasn't just when Fuad & I were together...for many years, I had a routine, with yoga on specific days, Mexican food on another day, a movie to watch on another evening, and with Tuesday nights spent watching the Biggest Loser, etc... I suppose in one way or another we all do it, we're all creatures of habit. What are your habits?

It's been 7 weeks here and I think what I'm craving in order to feel more settled and more at home is some routine.

I'm recalling the people who said to us that we're so lucky because we get a chance to start fresh. We could re-invent ourselves, create new habits, and make new routines. Maybe I could be a runner here, perhaps I could become an early riser and enjoy getting up early morning (not likely.) It does make sense, the entire process of going through our stuff (which took months) was like shedding layers, since we were both so deeply rooted in Chicago. It's interesting what you find tucked away in the back of drawers, like the things hidden in the deepest part of your soul. Releasing material objects from our grasp...our character is not determined by these objects we posses. Our moral and ethical compass isn't tuned by obtaining more "things."

At one of our going away gatherings, I shared with friends that I felt extremely vulnerable. Just before leaving, about to step from everything beloved and familiar, into the unknown when everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, had been taken out and brought into the light. Each item analyzed according to its worth (store it, pack it, give it away) and what made it into the suitcases was deemed essential. I also felt the urge to clean up loose ends in my relationships too...

...and yet all along I kept thinking of the old saying "where ever you go, there you are!" It finally made sense.

Here I am, sitting here waiting for Fuad to get home from Bangkok. Sometimes I'm still taken aback by how different our lives are now! Everyday as I drive to school I pass monks on my scooter. We make decisions about venturing out on the scooter based on whether it looks like it's gonna rain anytime soon, and we plan around how long we think we could stay out before it starts pouring... We don't own a tv and we've decided not to get one. I watch free shows off of Sidereel.com on my computer. (We've started watching Madmen from the beginning of the series and I'm watching a show called White Collar on my own while he's gone.)

I read, I blog...I've never had so much free time. Our neighborhood gets so quiet at night it's freaky. We slept with the windows open for the first time since we've been here the other night because it's starting to get cool at night. I hadn't realized how conditioned we'd gotten to the noise of the city.

The culture shock is starting to subside and I'm starting to notice more subtle aspects of people here, like for health reasons, wearing masks (and I actually considered wearing one), I observed the Thai folks on the plane to Bangkok last week eat the snack without actually touching the food and I thought "how smart" since airplanes are full of germs! There is hardly any physical contact between people because the standard greeting is to wai, and besides Fuad I have only hugged one other person. How many people do you hug or shake hands with in a day?

Now, I need to remind myself to be patient, to let the routines and new, refreshed habits reveal themselves. (Some things will never change, though....I LOVE to shop here!) I need to remind myself to be patient as friendships develop, because meaningful, lasting ones are not built overnight. I need to remind myself that the places that feel like "us" will emerge as we continue to explore this new place. And a little bit of time to let things happen slowly...that's OK too...

Eat Me - Fine Dining in Bangkok

Shared a sublime meal in Bangkok at a restaurant recommended by a long lost cousin. Eat Me is an Australian-run enterprise, but the cuisine is a blend of flavors and cooking styles from all over the world. Best meal we've had so far in Thailand... We feasted on the following:
Starters:
ROCKET, PEAR & PARMESAN SALAD W/ BLACK TRUFFLE DRESSING
WARM GOAT CHEESE SALAD W/ CITRUS VINAIGRETTE & PISTACHIOS
GRILLED TIGER PRAWNS W/ TOM YUM SPICED OLIVE OIL
Main Dishes:
FIG & BLUE CHEESE RAVIOLI W/ WALNUTS, ROSEMARY & BROWN BUTTER
PAN SEARED THAI BARRAMUNDI W/ SPICY COCONUT BROTH
Dessert:
STICKY DATE PUDDING W/ HOT BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE & VANILLA ICE CREAM

Check out their website, and if you're ever in town, this spot is well worth a visit, and you'll probably need a reservation...
http://www.eatmerestaurant.com/

Temple Hopping in Bangkok

Ok, so this is a bit sheisty, but I'm going to go ahead and cut and paste a blog entry I wrote a couple years ago to cover what Becky and I did this past Saturday... Becky came to Bangkok this past weekend for the first time, and we chose to spend our Saturday doing what all tourists do, which is to visit the Grand Palace. It's an essential trip if you come to Bangkok, because there are few places on earth that are centers of both political and spiritual power, and the palace is replete with incredible imagery, stunning architecture, and temples drenched in the devotion of a nation... It's a pilgrimage site, and I come as a supplicant every few years with a little more life experience, and every time it totally delivers at least one completely overwhelming moment. It was delightful finally bringing Becky along to check it out, although she did get a little peeved at me when she tried to take my picture and I shrugged her off saying "i already have some pics." That didn't go over too well... But it's true - everyone takes pictures at the Palace, and since I take lame pictures, I've got several folders buried on a hard drive somewhere of the place, and me mugging next to ancient statues and colorful murals... The place is a photographer's dream... I'll let Becky post her pics later, when she has a chance...
In the meantime, below is a post taken from an old Thai travel blog I wrote, about the last time I visited this complex. It's cheating to just cut and paste, maybe, but my impressions of this place have not changed much, and I don't want to try and write all this anew... The pictures aren't mine either...

Next....we visited the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This temple completely blew my mind. I was expecting a Buddha statue lying horizontally on a podium, his head propped up with a hand, and with his body laid out like a man reading on the floor. I had seen pictures of the statue before but none of them offered any perspective as to its actual dimensions. What we found at the Temple of the Reclining Buddha was a gold Buddha about the size of a house. This statue was HUGE.

The temple was roughly the size of my high school gymnasium, and this statue took up a length about the size of a basketball court. As you filed into the temple, the human traffic guided you in a circuit around the statue, which you only see if you crane your neck upwards to view the Buddha looming above, gazing indirectly at the earth. It’s a surreal place. Surrounding the main statue were small altars erected all around his form, comprised of collection boxes, burning candles, incense sticks, and smaller figures, all gilded offerings paying homage to larger Buddha presence. You make your way towards his feet, which are the size of Queen size beds, and are then ushered around the other side, where you see the back of his legs and spine. Pillars along this temple wall are lined with a series of donation bowls. A money changer offers you coins for any bills you wish to break, and provides you with a bowl, filled to the brim with small-value coins. You deposit a few coins in each donation bowl as you make your way towards the Buddha’s head, and by the time you’ve arrived at the temple opening, you’ve offered up dozens of coins to this Buddha, who is said to bestow prosperity and peace upon devotees who honor him. I could use some prosperity and peace in my life, and I’m not beyond endorsing a little well-intended idolatry if it’ll bring such elusive blessings into my life. We all receive our karmic dues eventually, don’t we?

Gold-leaf Bodhisattvas in rooms of Mother-of Pearl
Transcendental Truths Sealed Inside A Samsara World
Encompassed in these statues exits a universe of historical wealth
The center of gravity of certain societies sits upon their spiritual health…


After Wat Po, we walked a few blocks northward to the sprawling complex of the Grand Palace. We must’ve walked a few hundred meters along the Palace’s high barrier walls before finding the lone entrance dedicated to the thousands of tourists intent on paying homage to the Thai kingdom’s most famous artifact, the legendary Emerald Buddha.



The story of this particular statue dates back to the year 1434, when a Buddhist abbot at a monastery in Chiang Rai discovered that one of the life-size Buddha statues had a few pieces of paint missing from its nose, which revealed a strange green glow from beneath it. After more paint flaked off, the statue was polished, to reveal not a plaster Buddha at all, as it had been thought to be, but an image carved from one solid block of green jade. The origin of this statue was a mystery, and over subsequent centuries, it became a priceless and powerful symbolic talisman of the Thai kingdom. As a consequence of several wars, the statue changed hands a few times, and for a little over 200 years was appropriated to Laos, until a victorious Thai army captured it and returned it to Bangkok in 1778. The Grand Palace was constructed in 1782, in part to create an adequate resting place, the Royal Monastery, to house this profound statue. There is sits today, on an elevated altar, at a central location in the palace complex. To see it you must remove your shoes, and enter into a hall filled with gilded statues and the most elaborate gold altar I’ve ever seen. The Emerald Buddha does not have the same overwhelming size as some of the other statues we saw today, but it does exert a definite gravitational pull, and it looms high above the hordes of people offering authentic prayers to this Buddha in the Royal Monastery. The scene at the temple was powerfully reminiscent of a visit to a religious building that houses a relic, as such articles of faith are often cornerstones of people’s belief systems. This statue and the complex it lies within are not to be missed when visiting Bangkok, and even though this was my second visit in 4 years, I was still overwhelmed by the grace, elegance, and the refined Theravada decadence of the Grand Palace.