Surviving Christmas

Christmas day arrived here and it started out not unlike most others. I woke up earlier than usual and took a walk with my neighbor down to the local outdoor market. There's a little open air food stand there run by a really nice older Thai lady. She's always smiling and always remembers what we usually order. The best thing is that her entire menu is all the same price. A full plate of Thai food will run you 20 Baht, and is the U.S. equivalent of about 60 cents. The water and ice are free, but she'll charge you an extra 10 Baht if you want a cup of coffee.

Upon returning to the apartment building, later in the morning, we were greeted by the landlady and ushered into the main lobby downstairs. I was shocked to find a full banquet set and all my neighbors from the building. I was quickly informed by another friend that they were serving Christmas dinner and that it was free! Knowing that the building is owned and run by a devout Muslim family made it a little hard to wrap my head around the event. I guess it just goes to show how understanding they are of all the different nationalities that live in their building. Plate selections were a Thai/Japanese Noodle dish and good old spaghetti of all things. I opted for the spaghetti and promptly dug in. The sauce was a bit unusual, but I certainly wasn't complaining. I ate more food than I usually eat in a week, and promptly needed a nap. Arriving home, I flicked on the TV and was greeted by none other than "The Grinch". The songs on the old cartoon version were all still in English, but the dialogue had all been re-dubbed in Thai.

As the day turned into night, I opened up the windows and heard the unexpected. Somewhere across town there was a brass band playing "Jingle Bells". My apartment is on the third floor, so sounds tend to drift in from all over. This was definitely one of the more unusual ones for this city anyway. I went to work when the time came and despite the occasional "Happy Christmas" from a few Brits, it was just a night like any other.

After work, I got a call from a Thai friend of mine who wanted to talk. I gladly accepted especially since he was offering to pick me up and give me a ride home. A backseat ride on a motorbike can be a blessing and a curse all at the same time. On one hand you don't have to walk, but on the other you risk life and limb at the mercy of the traffic. Luckily, I made it home, and had an interesting conversation with my friend. He's actually a Christian who converted from Buddhism. Strangely enough, his lifestyle is still more Buddhist philosophy but still conforms to the Christian religion. The first Buddha pre-dates Christ by a few centuries, but they both taught similar principles. I guess it turns into a "chicken before the egg" question. The same goes for Islam, but I have yet to fully chase down that rabbit hole. All I can say is that from my landlords to the market people the Muslims have been some of the kindest and nicest people I have ever met. I can talk for hours about this stuff, but quite frankly I already have and my internet time is limited.

I'll leave you with my main thought for the day. The primary things that I have learned about Buddhism in recent months can be summed up in in two statements.

Nothing is worth being

Nothing is worth having

It's a selfless philosophy void of ego and worldly things, and has goals that only the most enlightend of individuals can ever achieve. Living here in poverty has changed my mind in many different ways and forced me to become a better person through the challenges. My mind has been opened to so many things despite the hardships of staying here.

As the song goes "Peace on Earth Goodwill Toward Men". For once in my life, I truly understand that concept, and thanks to a Christian Buddhist. The world is a big place, and until you venture out of your "safety zone" you have never truly lived.

Peace out, from the other side of the planet.

Christmas with Buddha and Allah

The holiday season has always had a way of sneaking up on me, and this year is definitely no exception to the rule. In fact, it has been the sneakiest to date. Christmas has taken a bit of a hold here, but primarily for the sake of tourists. I've seen a few small Christmas trees around the city, and one very large one in the big shopping mall here. Other than that, it's nearly impossible to remember that it is only a few days away. Last night, before work, I had dinner with a friend of mine. The little Thai restaurant down the street is one of our regular haunts. Cheap food and a free pool table in the back make it a very inexpensive outing. As we were finishing dinner and headed to the back for a game of pool, the manager put a Christmas CD on the house sound system. It was a very strange and surreal experience as the music ran through the place. My head was practically spinning as the memories (both good and bad) raced through my mind. My friend was having a bit of the same experience. This is his third holiday season here, and it prompted some interesting conversation about years gone by.

Thailand is about 94% Buddhist, 5% Muslim, and less than 1% Christian. It's practically impossible to throw a rock anywhere in this city without hitting a Buddhist temple or monastery. Monks in their bare feet and orange saffron robes are a regular daily sight on the city streets. I've had the chance to meet and talk with many of the locals about religion, philosophy, and history. Many of the preconceived notions that I had about Buddhists were uninformed and downright prejudiced at times. I've since had the opportunity to learn more about them , their philosophy, and their way of life. I'm not planning to run off and join a monastery anytime soon, but I have learned a great deal by keeping an open mind. I haven't met too many Muslims here yet, but my apartment is within shouting distance from the local mosque. By shouting, I am referring to the "call to prayer" that comes blasting through my window five times a day from the loudspeakers in the minaret. The first one comes about 5:30 in the morning and the last can be heard just after sundown. Around here, we jokingly call it waking up with the Mullah. All kidding aside, the people who run my apartment building are Muslim, and have proven to be the kindest, most understanding and generous landlords I have ever had. I've had a few brief conversations with them about Islam. They are true Muslims, and are seriously concerned about the more radical minority sects that give the mainstream majority a negative image.

That's all for now from this side of the planet. I hope everyone is well, and for what it's worth, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Choppers in Chiang Mai

This morning, I was awakened by a familiar sound. At first I thought that I must be dreaming, but I soon identified what sounded like Harley Davidson motorcycles. Not just one, but alot of them. A quick trip downstairs confirmed my suspicions. The hotel parking lot next door was filled with hundreds of Harleys and bikers. After months of seeing nothing but mopeds and scooters, this was quite an impressive sight. A little asking around revealed that the hotel owner's son was a member of the area motorcycle club. A couple of the club members are also Thai police officers who have put together custom police bikes reminiscent of the old "CHIPS" TV show. Further walks around the city were a bit strange as the whole city seems to be over run with bikers both Thai and Westerners alike. The constant buzzing of the local's motorbikes has been drowned out by the rumbling pipes made in the USA. It's definitely a surreal experience seeing so many American made bikes here on the streets of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

CLICK HERE FOR THE BIKE GALLERY

Email Meltdown

Cyberspace has thrown me a bit of a curveball this week in the form of an email meltdown. For some reason, all email addresses and history associated with with my former domain name have vanished off the face of the planet. I checked the server side last night. It shows that nothing has expired, but the accounts are missing in action. I will be trying to recover them over the next day or so, but I am not exactly hopeful. Today I set up a long overdue email contact form here on the blog. You can use the "Contact me" button on the left menu for a pop-up version, or CLICK HERE for a more traditional style. All forms will be sent to my alternative email address where I can rebuild my address book, so please drop me a line so that I can at least have your email address. I apologize for any inconvenience, and I hope I can continue to maintain contact with my friends and readers.

Strange Sensations

It's hard to believe that this is still the same place I crash landed in three months ago. I woke up early as always. I had some water and an orange before heading out for my morning walk. The cool season is now in full effect, and this morning I experienced something very unusual. For a couple weeks now, I have been making fun of the locals as they dress up like Eskimos whenever the temperature dips below 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Upon stepping outside my building this morning I actually felt the sensation of cold!! The overnight temperature had dropped to 66 degrees Fahrenheit, and I found myself scrambling back inside to find some long pants. It was only one month ago that I couldn't go outside during the heat of the day for fear of boiling my brain in the intense heat and humidity. The concept of actually feeling cold while this close to the equator still seems absolutely ridiculous, but I suppose I'll get used to it about the time that the whole country turns into an oven again.

Turkey Day in Thailand

As anyone might assume, there is no Thanksgiving holiday here in Thailand. Most of the foreigners here are Europeans, and the few other Americans I know seem to have let it slip by unnoticed. No turkey dinner, no stuffing, and no mashed potatoes. I've had a few of the locals ask me to explain the holiday, but it's a little difficult to explain to someone whose family has lived in the same area since for over 10,000 years. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that was never fully colonized by the west. The rulers of Thailand in the 19th century pitted Great Britain and France against each other in a tricky political dice game. After the Japanese invasion of World War II, they signed a truce with Tokyo, and the Japanese helped them regain land that had been lost to European colony incursions. After the war, Thailand emerged as a major U.S. ally and we stopped the Europeans from taking back their colonies in the country. Quite a sharp little shell game they had going.

On a lighter note, is one of the more unusual sights that I have seen during my time here. Thailand is a primarily Buddhist country. Most homes and businesses have a small temple out front like the picture above. I call it the "Buddha house", and they range greatly in size and detail. Every morning a small offering is placed in the "Buddha house" usually consisting of food, drink, and incense. During one of my walks, I came across a fairly large "Buddha house" in front of a local business. Perched inside was none other than a live turkey gobbling up Buddha's meal for the day. I had 101 funny ideas for a blog post or an article after seeing that, but I've decided to let you put your own meaning to it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bugs not Drugs

We are now headlong into what the locals call the "cool season". Granted, by "cool" they mean under 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It's not much under 100, but it is under nonetheless. Along with the cooler weather comes the onslaught of mosquitoes. I am practically living next door to the rather sluggish Mae Ping river, and the city center here still has a standing moat from the 13th century. The end result is alot of water sitting around and a heyday for the mosquito population. This week alone, I've been hit between 75 and 100 times. I've been working evenings at a local outdoor tourist restaurant and pub. Unfortunately, my work hours are peak feeding time for the little bloodsuckers. I started getting a little spooked yesterday when I began coming down with some cold symptoms. It's been over 24 hours now, and I'm pretty sure it's just a common cold and not some kind of funky jungle virus.

Early this week, I'll once again be braving the Thai bus system to scout a potential job and slightly better living quarters. I'm not really at liberty to discuss the details yet, but if it works out I will be much better off than I am now. With a little luck, I may even be able to afford a few luxury items like bug spray, cold medicine, and a haircut.

Being the typical American, my first instinct when I arrived here was to get behind the wheel of some type of motorized vehicle. The car culture of the United States was very much embedded in my psyche. I quickly realized however that Asia is a continent full of motorcycles and scooters. There are plenty of cars, trucks, and SUVs on the streets, but they are far outnumbered by their two wheeled friends. I have taken a few backseat rides here so far on scooters with my local friends, and quickly lost any ambition to get behind the throttle of anything with an engine or even wheels for that matter.

The first major adjustment is getting used to driving on the wrong side of the road. It's almost like putting your shoes on the wrong feet. It just feels wrong!

The second was the realization that the traffic laws here appear to be merely viewed as "suggestions" instead of rules. Thailand does have a mandatory helmet law, but you would never know it by watching the traffic go by every day. The only instance I have seen police issue tickets was after witnessing a particularly gruesome accident right outside my apartment building the other day. A Thai man (without a helmet) pulled out into traffic and was broadsided by a large flat nose box truck. Both the bike and rider were thrown about 20 feet after the rider's head smashed into the windshield of the truck. The rest, I would rather not write about and will unfortunately never forget. Later that day, the police were out in full force with checkpoints around the city set up for all motorcycles. There were at least 5 officers at each checkpoint. Throughout the rest of the day, I never saw an officer without a ticket pad in hand and a non helmeted rider getting a ticket. The next day, it was back to business as usual.

Last but not least is the overall state of organized chaos that plays out every second here on the roadways. Everyone lines up at stoplight like a motorized version of an oversize Tetris game. The scooters slip into the spaces between the cars. The taxis work their way in between the trucks and the sidewalk. Everyone crams in as tight as they can get until you have this massive compacted sea of vehicles waiting for the light to turn. As the light approaches green, everyone starts to rev their engines. Soon enough, the light turns and we're off the races! Everyone speeds off and jockeys to get in a better position for the next light. I always thought that Americans had invented NASCAR, but now I realize that these guys have been doing it everyday for much longer.

I've given up my notions of being a motorist here anytime soon, and I'll be sticking to the mode of transportation that I was born with. I've had enough close calls just crossing the street here, and I'm not looking forward to adding any velocity to my daily travels. I generally walk about 5 to 10 miles a day now. At first it was painful, but over time it has proved to be good exercise and stress relief.

Loi Krathong Festival

Tonight is the last night of the Loi Krathong festival here in Chiang Mai. It basically means the "Festival of Lights", and between the lighted boats on the river, the lighted balloons in the sky, and the never ending fireworks, the holiday definitely lives up to it's name. You can read more about it on Wikipedia by Clicking Here . The closest thing I can compare it to would be the 4th of July in the USA, only it lasts for four days straight!! Four whole days and nights of blaring music citywide 24 hours a day and more fireworks than I've ever seen or heard in my entire life. Needless to say, getting any sleep this week has been difficult at best. There has also been a massive influx of tourists here in the city for the festival. It's good for the local economy, but for those of us who have been here a little while trying to blend in, they can be a little annoying. I was kind of astonished today when a European guy stopped me and asked for directions to one of the markets. The only thing more astonishing than that was the fact that I was able to give him the directions he needed.

I'm hoping that things will quiet down here a little tomorrow as the country scales back down from 24 hour "party mode". If nothing else, I'm looking forward to the end of the constant onslaught of fireworks and mortars. This place has sounded like a war zone for the last week or two. I will have to admit however that I have indulged in a few "bangs" myself. One of my Thai friends crossed over into Burma last week and bought some REALLY GOOD fireworks. The stuff you can buy here is scary enough, but these were absolutely huge. Unlike anything I had ever seen available to the average person in the States.

Lunch Money

Things continue to be tricky at best here, but today I thought I would just have a little fun with it. Number one because it doesn't do any good to be angry about it, and number two I haven't posted any updates for a while.

I'd like to introduce you to my favorite restaurant. It's actually an entire street, but more like an alley that runs behind my apartment building. The whole thing is full of Arabic and Muslim stores, street food and restaurants. Everything is dirt cheap and pretty decent once you get used to the burkas and Muslim prayer caps. The food for the most part can be a bit odd, but I can't argue with the price. For a full meal, you can get "mystery meat on a stick" served with cabbage and a cucumber in a plastic bag. At around 5 Baht ($0.15 USD) it's hard to beat. My favorite however is the fried bread. They are almost exactly like scones, and at 2 Baht each ($0.06 USD) they can make a quick meal. Problem is they are kind of small so sometimes it takes two. Good stuff though.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THE ARAB MARKETS

Lunch money continues to be tight, but thanks to a few good local friends I do get a good big meal once in a while. Just in case anybody back home ever wants to buy me lunch, I have placed a Paypal link on the left panel labeled "Lunch Money". I'm an incredibly cheap date. $2.00 will get me something interesting and maybe exotic. I'll even send you a snapshot. I may consider doing requests at some point and time, but I don't want it to turn into a "fear factor" kind of thing.

Riding the Razor's edge

The future is still up in the air here, but at least the evening went well. I played three gigs with the reggae band, made a few Baht, and made it home safe on the back of my buddy's motorbike. The only thing I can imagine scarier than being a passenger on a motorcycle in this place is actually driving one! I usually just close me eyes, and wait for it to be over. Accidents happen, and it's usually the single mother packing 3 kids on a scooter and trying to talk on her cell phone at the same time. I've given up hope on the Chonburi job and have focused on my contacts at the schools here in Chiang Mai. I have enough experience and a few papers to get a decent position if I play my cards right. In hindsight, I should have taken this route a month ago instead of chasing something that was too good to be true. I'm riding the razor's edge when it comes to money at the moment, but the landlady is happy for another day or two. Day to day turns into minute by minute around here sometimes. Thankfully, I have a bed to sleep in tonight and enough money for breakfast in the morning. I'll take the rest from there.

Random Thoughts

Things are still a little crazy and in chaos, but here are my random thoughts for the day. It's been a weird week and not quite sure where I'm headed from here.

1. The Brits think that their jokes are hilarious, but it's polite to laugh anyway
2. The Aussies are quite funny when you can understand them
3. Even the best of people can have bad intentions
4. On the flipside, even the worst of people can have good intentions
5. Trying to tell the difference can be really tricky
   
6. Fireworks are really annoying at 3:00 AM (RamaV festival)
7. Too much Benadryl as a sleep aid can cause hallucinations (especially during above fireworks)
8. The USA has the 4th of July and it only lasts one day.
   
9. Here they have "RamaV" and it lasts a week
10. Once again, fireworks are really annoying at 3:00 AM
11. The best laid plans can go astray
12. The virtues of patience, tolerance, and forgiveness are priceless
13. Friends and good advice will be found in the most unexpected places
14. Never give away something you would ever want back
15. The Discovery Channel is great even in Thailand
16. Hunting for worms on the side of the "city moat" can be fun
17. Fishing with friends is even more fun
18. Last but not least, the fireworks are still REALLY annoying
    

I hope that's random enough for you, but it's about how the last few days have been. Absolute chaos with a little bit of fun peppered in it.

A turn for the worse

Things here have gone wrong. Terribly wrong. I'll try to make another update, but it's anyone's guess at this point. I suppose we all get what we deserve, and this is no exception. I was a really big dummy this week, and now have to pay the price. A month of hard work and tribulations, and now I find myself starting all over again here in Thailand. I'm irritated at best. I wasted a whole month and too much travel money on a job that didn't pan out. Thankfully, I still have a little work here in Chiang Mai, but time is running out. The big lesson learned this week is that you have to listen to your friends, and pay attention when they say "be carefull". They will be the first ones to laugh at you when things don't work out. I wouldn't trade the last month for the world, but I'm still sitting here kicking myself in the butt.

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