Songkran Festival 2014

Songkran is a huge festival celebrating the Thai New Year, held in April and marked by the Buddhist tradition of sprinkling water on others as a form of cleansing.  This is by far the largest and most important holiday, where people travel from all over the country, and really the world, to Chiang Mai for the largest Songkran celebration.

The Buddhist traditions are mostly practiced at the temples around town.  There, scented water is poured over the statues of the Buddha and loved ones.  People gather around and listen to monks speak.  

Meanwhile, as Buddhists worship at temples throughout Chaing Mai or travel to visit family, the other side of Songkran can only be most accurately defined as the biggest water fight in the world!  This is where massive super-soakers and buckets are loaded full of water and sprayed into strangers' faces, with every car in the overcrowded streets equipped with 55 gallon barrels of water, "ammunition," ready to unload on anything that enters the reach of those at the helm. 

Massive blocks of ice are purchased from random folks lining the streets, tossing freezing water on completely suspecting passer-buyers.  Random "fill-up" stations were available around the moat and the old city.  Local businesses take the four-day hit on their water bill to keep the party going with an unlimited supply of water from their tap, usually through an industrialized sized hose endlessly filling barrells with water. 

But the best part of all...you get to act like a complete kid again!  

I mean, everyone of all ages participates in the fun.  Running around laughing like a giddy little child, getting pelted all over with refreshing water while boiling under the sun.  You really feel that youthful spirit come alive.  Like, man, I remember those days!

The city hosts many concerts and DJ's all over town.  Although I was rather fried and didn't do a ton most evenings, there was a bunch going on after sundown.  Some of the big malls host live music on their doorsteps, and bars uncomfortably packed with lines out the door, clearly violating capacity.

It's madness!  It's refreshing!  Its disgusting, at times!

Its absolutely the best festival in Thailand, especially here in Chaing Mai!

But no matter what, you don't leave your home without getting annihilated with water- it's just understood.  Either from a small child wielding a super-soaker the size of himself, or a sweet old woman tossing cup sized amounts of water as you pass her front porch, you WILL get soaked!

After the third day I was kind of over it though.  Living as a bachelor and eating out at restaurants every meal, I just don't have food in my fridge.  So when trying to leave my apartment to get some breakfast that fourth day, I just wanted to be dry and eat in peace.  Ha, but good luck with that, I was eating completely drenched, and honestly, it didn't matter.  

All you can do is smile.

I've never seen anything like it before.

The country literally comes to a complete stand-still!  Everything shuts down - minus some bars and restaurants, because of course, that's what fuels the festivities. 

Embarrassingly, I actually locked myself out of my apartment the first day of Songkran, only to find the small note in broken English written on the leasing office door, "Office close, no key no in apartment until 4-15." 

It was the 13th.

How I managed to "break-in" later that evening is another story - returning home completely soaked from head-to-toe, a little drunk and exhausted, I was determined to concur that locked door. Needless to say, I wasn't homeless for the duration of Songkran.

Songkran couldn't come at a better time too.  April is apparently the hottest month of the year, and when Thais call it hot, it's baking!  I can now say living in Chaing Mai, April will personally and very appropriately be marked as the month where I average three showers a day, and celebrate the craziness that is Songkran!

This is a must when traveling to Thailand, mark the date - (April 12th-15th).  

April is a fantastic time to be in Chaing Mai!

 

 

The Horse Farm

Last November, I met Louisa, my Bavarian friend traveling around SE Asia during her gap year. For those that don't know (because I know I didn't), "gap year" is the time when high school graduates from many Western countries travel abroad before entering college.

Man, I wish I would've traveled like this before college - although I would've been an absolute mess traveling here at that age, and probably would've found myself in trouble!  So, maybe I'll call it a blessing in disguise I didn't!

Louisa happened to still be in Thailand when I moved, and actually came up from the south islands to visit me in Chiang Mai.  She was planning to continue on north to a horse farm owned by a fellow German, that asked her to help out for a month.  

Since I'd never ridden a horse through the jungle, or anywhere for that matter, I made it a point to come visit!

The ride up to the Phrao District is amazing!

Phrao is tucked away in a valley surrounded by a horseshoe shaped mountain range just north of Chiang Mai - so no tourists up here at all. You know you've exited the tourist track when you start turning heads of unsuspecting Thai onlookers by simply driving down the local streets.

It's very dry this time or year, and of course, freakin' hot!

After two and a half ass-numbing hours on the motorbike, I made it to the base of the mountain where the horse farm was.

I was greeted by Lousia and the Thai family she was living with. Boris was the owner, a German who married a Thai woman, started a nice big family here in the country, and ran this horse farm taking tourists on week-long excursions through northern Thailand and Laos. He offered tours of no more than four per group, and options to either trek through the mountains locally, or venture into the southern mountains of Laos for a longer tour.  I didn't have time to do anything that extensive, so I settled on a modest day ride through the jungle the following morning.

The farmhouse was crowded to say the least.  Typical of Thai households:  the whole family lives together, usually about three generations all under ONE roof!  So, there wasn't much room in the house for another head. The only option for me was to pull a mattress outside to an outdoor covered lounge area, next to the horse stable, and sleep outside in a mosquito net!

Ok, so, no complaints sleeping outside...at all!

It was amazing at night to hear all the sounds in the country coming alive, along with the horses practically sleeping at my feet.  It was again, something I'd never experienced before.  

The only downside is life starts ridiculously early on a farm!  Of course, horses are hungry at the first sliver of daylight, so the work started very early - of course, not for me though, the noise just simply woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep, so it felt like I was up working that early, but I really wasn't. You literally could hear roosters from miles away, like 5 farms over, crowing all morning long. They were relentless, and successfully prevented any sleep past 5am.

We went for our ride that Saturday. We rode into the jungle and began climbing the mountain by horseback. Riding is pretty easy when you're only going 5 mph. The ride was slow, but the scenery was worth the ass-dragging.  These horses weren't really trained, so it was a challenge getting them to do anything but slothfully trudge along the mountainside trail.  

We arrived at a waterfall deep in the jungle, near a small wadding pool where we could take a dip and cool off. The horses voluntarily got in the water as well, practically diving in splashing everywhere, and really enjoying the bath.

It was seriously such a hot day!

We continued back down after a few hours, and quickly realized we may not make it back before sundown at our current pace. This became more concerning when the obedience issues continued.  I made the mistake of letting my horse stop a few times to snack on the low-hanging meals along the trail.  Underestimating his intelligence, I quickly found, like the children I teach, if you give him an inch and he'll take a mile.  He quickly realized his newly enlisted power over me, and stopped at every other green plant he saw, giving little regard to my stern commands to move forward.

We eventually made it back as the sun was setting.  It was quite nice to have such a beautiful scene as we walked the horses back, and after a somewhat stressful fight against time. Getting stuck in the jungle at night is just not ok, anywhere.

That evening, the Thai children were preparing to grill (Thai style), and we ate and drank until the wee hours of the morning.

It was a great experience, and another "first" to add to my ongoing list here in Thailand.



    

Well, I've Never Done This Before

So, I need a job.  

I certainly moved here with money in my poket, but I clearly lack the long-term financial luxuries like a pension or retirement, and certainly don't have any windfall of expendable cash, therefore I'll need some income flowing. Thailand may be inexpensive, but I want to live here a while and not burn through all my savings. So, the obvious next step...

Get a J.O.B.  

I didn't move here to find another 9-5, of course.  Because frankly, the one I quit back in Seattle would be impossible to beat here.  Redfin is just an awesome place to work, period! 

I moved here to do something different.  I want to live, and make a living doing something unique I've never done before...or couldn't otherwise do back in the States.  After some preliminary research before I left, I knew English teachers were always in high demand. Seemingly, this is the best option for making decent money too (comparatively speaking), and something that would likely be more personally rewarding than a desk job.

This was where I'd start.

I put together a "teacher" oriented resume, and hit the pavement in search of a job.  This wasn't necessarily as easy as I thought it would be. 

Chiang Mai is the epicenter for quality education in SE Asia, so teaching jobs are highly competitive.  I have zero experience teaching anyone anything, although in college I was a mentor for disadvantaged inner-city youth for a year, but nothing related to classroom experience.  After realizing this harsh reality of the competitive job market I'm trying to enter, and drained from my exhausted efforts applying for jobs around town, I knew I needed to beef-up the resume.  

Of course, volunteer teachers are always welcome in most schools.  After speaking with a few people, volunteering experience seemed like my only option towards landing a paid position. One high school I found and applied to, allowed me to sit-in on a few classes to get a feel for teaching a class of 40-something kids! This was overwhelming to say the least.  

Madd props to the teachers out there who do this day-in and day-out, it's exhausting work! 

In the meantime, my Thai friend BeBe began reaching out to her personal/work contacts for me, in response to my obvious desperation to find work.

She surprisingly found me a lead rather quickly.  She told me all the necessary details over the phone. When she told me the job, I was a little apprehensive.  This was something I've clearly never done before.  I thought about not doing it, but at the same time, sounded like some relatively easy money for a half day's work - so was listening.  

She found me a one-time gig posing in a video for the Thailand Department of Tourism.  WTF, really?!?  Apparently Thai companies, especially those in tourism, are always looking for farang (Westerners) for modeling work to appeal to Western tourism.  I think there was a degree of urgency to find someone quickly, and I was likely the cheaper option for them shooting last minute in Chiang Mai.  

Oh, and it pays one month's rent for like three hours of work...SOLD!!  I'll do it!

She basically said to dress up, look professional, and go to this swanky hotel outside the city and someone will be there waiting.  The hotel was the Dhara Dhevi!   

When I arrived at the hotel, I was taken back by the extravagance.  It was a beautiful campus built around four huge temple-like buildings in a perfect little rice field and garden area, also surrounded by villas and private lakes.  

I only had my iphone to take these photos, so pardon the terrible resolution.  

I was lead into a conference room where a stunning Ukrainian model was sitting quietly getting her makeup all prepared by a team of stylists - who were all clearly professionals.  

I thought, this was a little much, I mean, the model is clearly a pro (something you can just tell), and I'm just some random traveler looking for work and just happened to know someone who knew someone in a moment of coincidence. 

I was suddenly really nervous, and also very aware I maybe should've asked for more money - (one months rent is only $129). 

This was way out of my comfort zone!  

A few moments during the shoot, Anna mentioned my shaking hand and instructed me to calm down. I could've melted each time she said it to me too, with her cool/calm Eastern Euopean accent.  

Honestly, I don't even like my picture taken at all really - something I just conveniently remembered right then.  However, the trepidation was mixed with the excitement of doing something different, and that was really the whole point.

Plus, I couldn't stop starring at this Ukrainian girl!  

I'm beginning to think my next travel destination will be Eastern Europe...(contingent on the current crisis, of course)

The staff needed some time to prepare, and told us to walk around the property until they were ready for us.  So, Anna and I went for a walk around this place.

Let's just say this wasn't a place accommodating the average backpacker.  I'm also pretty confident this would be the last time I'd come here, being it's probably one of the most expensive hotels in Chiang Mai...I was soaking it up!

We returned to the area where they wanted to shoot the video.  They put some makeup on me (another first), and styled my hair.  They positioned us at the foot of this big staircase, and the director started shouting orders.

After about 20 retakes, and what seemed to be countless little readjustments, they finally got the shot they wanted.  This was an exhausting process, mainly because I had to hold a generic smile for more than a few minutes at a time with each retake, so after a few hours I was done with the whole thing.  

Turns out our shot will only be a 10 second spot in this video.  The video team was traveling all over Thailand shooting random clips, and would compile the collection to edit at a later date.  It was all very professional.  The video is suppose to hit Youtube in May, I'll keep an eye out.  For all the time and effort put into a 10 second clip just seemed like overkill, but hey, what do I know, I've never done this before and likely won't again.  

The experience was another addition to my recent list of "firsts" here in Thailand, so it was worth it!

Around this time, I started volunteering at the Burmese Refugee Center near my apartment. The director of the center provided free English classes, a library, and essentially a community center for the refugees.  His name was Garrett, and he just so happened to be from Seattle! 

Small world, no?

He knew I was looking for permanent work, and sent a referral over to a language school he had a great relationship with, and that also just happened to be right across the street. Apparently his word carries some weight, as I was quickly contacted by the school's director inviting me to come in for an interview.  That Monday, I came in for my interview and was hired on the spot!  I felt like things were suddenly falling in my lap, this was just perfect timing!

She told me I could work about 15-20 hours a week, teaching one-on-one English conversation classes with students of various ages.  No set schedule, and I could take time off whenever. Sessions are hourly, so that provides me the flexibility to easily control my availability.  Each session is paid 220baht/1hr, which is equivalent to about $7 - essentially what I made when I was 16 years old bagging groceries.  She also knew I had some online marketing experience, and agreed to pay me to do some light-weight marketing for the school.  

Perfect!  

I've now taught a little over three weeks, and I think I really enjoy my time here.    

For the most part, the kids are really fun.  

Man, life was just so easy back then.  

They're generally always happy and full of energy!  However, these kids are temperamental, and can drive you up the wall insane as well.  But most of the day, the kids are excited to see you and are pleasant.  They're just so simple and funny, it's really a joy to be around them.  You can't help but feel a little nostalgic at times, reminiscing of years past, back when nothing mattered more than Legos and Grandma's house. We didn't know how good it really was back then.  Adults try to simplify a complicated life, while kids are are inherently simple, but forced to complicate it.  Ignorance can be bliss. 

We can learn a lot about life from kids. 

There's obviously the language barrier, but many of the students go to high-end international or expensive private schools, where English is taught very young, so there's some baseline to work with.

I really enjoy my time at the Burmese Center as well, where most of the students are adults.  A few are Thai, but the majority are Burmese who've fled Myanmar for better paying jobs or to escape the instability in the region.  They're all really serious and eager to learn.  I presume this is the case because they are considered second-class citizens here in Thailand, and probably realize more than Thais the importance of learning English as a survival mechanism, so they're more serious about learning the skill. Learning English does lend them an upper-hand.  

The priority to learn seems vastly different between the two ethnic groups.  In some cases I've noticed that Thais try to learn and teach their kids English almost as a symbol of status (you have money if you speak English), rather than a means of improving their livelihood (certainly not the case for All Thais, of course). In Chiang Mai, some Thais seem to live pretty well-off and with relatively decent money.  The language school students are primarily upper-class Thai kids, and sometimes you can feel that parents just don't take it that seriously, but insistent their kids come 5 times a week! 

I think for now, I've secured a good situation here with some cash flow, so I feel comfortable and at ease. Ill see how the teaching goes, I imagine Ill enjoy this for the time being...or let this become the most effective form of birth control, EVER!

When The Universe Speaks...I Listen

After I decided to move to Thailand, I was obviously nervous about my impending departure.  I was looking for any reinforcement I could find that would confirm I was making the right or wrong decision.

Well, when the universe talks to me, I certainly listen!

There were two notable moments that happened in the last month, in the time I left Seattle and moved to Thailand, that shook me to the core!  I mean, situations where undoubtedly, I know the universe was communicating with me.  You know, those moments that send all the hair on your arms straight up! 

Through meditation, I feel an enlightened sense of self-awareness, and a connection to something I can't really explain.  Maybe like how people feel with a religion, but with less rigidity.  Meditation is such a powerful tool that helps you connect to something that only you can understand in your own personal way.  It can align all the misdirected thinking and feeling into one transformative union between a heightened self-awareness and an improved well-being.  Creating a peace that is always present.  Like you can handle anything that crosses your path, and with no fear of what you can't control.  Life can feel a little easier to deal with.

The big "fad" now in spirituality, and frankly a revolution in modern psychology, is the concept of "mindfulness."  Derived back in the late 70's by an MIT-educated scientist, the idea was for individuals to be completely aware and purposeful in whatever they are doing in every passing moment.  Basically to only focus on what you are doing right now in that very moment, and nothing else. 

Seems simple, right?

Its about consciously thinking about washing your hands when you are washing them.  It's going on a walk and only thinking about what you are seeing and feeling on that walk in that moment.  It's about eliminating the consuming thoughts of the past or future, and to just be in the "now." To be mindful of your existence right this second, because the only thing that exists IS this moment, right "now!"

In a digitally dependent society, and the fact human beings have only slightly evolved away from our animalistic fight or flight impulses, its no surprise that we can't seem to take the time to just "stop and smell the roses."  If distraction is the preeminent condition of our modern society, then mindfulness meditation must be the answer to slowing this predisposition down a bit.

When you become more aware of the "now," things do slow down, and the universe starts to really talk to you...but only if you are listening. 

So, here are two instances when the universe was shouting at me, and all I could do was listen.


Moment #1

I was flying home for Christmas, Christmas Eve actually, literally to say goodbye to friends and family one last time, not knowing when I'll actually see them next.  I boarded my connecting flight from Denver to Indianapolis, sat down in my seat, and prepared to throw on the headphones and pass-out for the remaining leg of my flight.  I don't usually talk to people sitting next to me on the plane, and if I do, it's only because someone started talking to me.  Sometimes it's nice to just zone out and not be bothered with idle conversation sitting on an uncomfortable airplane.

There was a young newly wed couple next to me, and they were both super friendly and began casually chatting with me.  Ok, fine.  They were from Indy, and we started talking about their move to Denver, and discussed my pending move as well.  He perked up when I told him I was moving to Thailand, as his brother had just done the same, but uprooted to India.

We discussed what inspired my move, and also what inspired his brother's as well.  It sounded like our stories were quite similar.  His brother found some inspiration from a book he had read earlier that helped him make the decision to move, and suggested I read it.  The book was called "The Dharma Bums," by Jack Kerouac.  I was certainly looking for my next travel read, and so I obliged. I wrote the title down on a piece of paper along with the young guy's name and email.  I was thankful for the suggestion, but didn't think much of it.  I told him I would totally read it before I left.

My parents met me at the terminal to take me back home.  My brothers were both waiting at the house, and I was greeted by my whole family together, it was really nice seeing everyone - my first Christmas back home in three years.  We sat around and chatted pretty late, and all discussed exchanging gifts that night instead of the next morning, mostly because we knew we weren't going to be up that early. (copious amounts of wine was being consumed) I shared all my gifts I'd brought back from Thailand, and my parents and brothers all exchanged theirs with me.

The last gift I received was from my little brother Kyle.  Kyle certainly shares in my spiritual beliefs, and knew he would certainly give me a gift of meaning and inspiration.  He hands me the gift, and I began to open it.  The moment I opened the present and peeled back the last piece of wrapping paper, finally exposing itself, I suddenly fell completely silent.  Everyone looked at me, and were confused by my reaction.  I stood up and freaked out a little!

It was the exact book the kid on the plane had just told me to read two hours earlier!  It was "The Dharma Bums," by Jack Kerouac!!! 

Of all the travel novels in existence, or books that inspire things of that nature, it had to be this book!

It was overwhelming how creeped out I felt!  But, I could see and feel the significance.

Within two hours of getting off the plane, having this short, seemingly meaningless conversation with a complete stranger, someone I never would've talked to otherwise, coupled with my serious intentions of keeping my promise to this person, it was here, NOW, in my hands!  It was the exact same book!

This is the universe talking to me loud and clear.  It still sends chills down my spine. To me, this isn't coincidence!  This is something powerful, and it confirmed I was on my right path.

Whether I read this book or not, it's a powerful and obvious energy force that entered my own.  

It's something telling me to follow this inspired journey.   

Moment #2

Once I arrived in Thailand, I was eager to rent a motorbike and jet up into the mountains right outside of Chiang Mai.  The beautiful lower lands of the southern Himalayas are so breathtaking.  A wild untamed jungle, nestled in a stunning green landscape overlooking the city from above. 

I didn't know where I was driving, but there didn't seem to be too many other roads going up, so, I just headed straight up!  I soon stumbled upon a little town called Doi Suthep, which appeared rather touristy. There was yet another big temple perched up on the ledge of a cliff, with a staircase up to it that looked rather daunting, so I continued on driving.  It was realty hot out, and I just wasn't in the mood for all that climbing, plus, it was just another temple and I'd seen plenty at this point.

I went to a national park about a mile up the highway.  I parked, and began trekking though the forest, not really knowing where I was going.  Very responsible, right?  It was all so beautiful, so I just kept walking. Well, low and behold, I ended up back at Doi Suthep, and back at the base of that formidable staircase to this temple I earlier wanted nothing to do with.  How did I end up here again?

At this point, I figured what the hell, I'm here, just do it!   I meandered my way up to the temple, and wow, it was stunning!  All the gold, the huge Buddhas, the aroma of temple incense, and all the monks giving blessings inside.  I knelt down and was blessed by a monk, took my pictures then decided to head back.

It was sweltering hot outside, and once I made it back to my guesthouse, I needed to lay down and possibly take a nap.

When I was purging my life belongings back in Seattle, I really had to get rid of everything.  Anything of modest importance had to go, especially anything with weight.  However, there was one book that I'd been reading the last few months, even before my first trip to Thailand, with little to no frequency, but for some odd reason thought even with just the one chapter left, I should still bring this book and finish it.  I debated this, but felt I'd read the last chapter on the plane and get rid of it once in Thailand.

Once back in my room, I couldn't sleep because of the heat, the ceiling fan just did not suffice.  I was bored and with no Internet, so I decided to finally open up that book and finish that last chapter.  This book wasn't a page turner by any means, which was the main reason I didn't bother reading it during my 26 hours in the air.  I really wasn't in the mood to read at that moment, and desiring a quick nap, I figured reading it would put me sleep.

The book was called "Yoga for People Who Can't be Bothered to Do It," by Geoff Dyer.

I began reading the final chapter, as the author talked about his time at Black Rock City, for Burning Man.  Comparing experiences that can be achieved in a place that only exists for one week, to those spiritual experiences at holy sites around the world.  Places that have stood the test of time.   

My eyes began to soften with disinterest, and I could feel a good nap coming on.

This book is a travel novel, and discussed Geoff's experiences all over the world, but nothing about any time spent in Thailand, just a brief excerpt about his time in Cambodia.

However, the next paragraph shot me right out of bed!  I was wide awake now. 

You can see the last sentence in the first page on the left image below, where he suddenly takes the focus from Black Rock City to a random temple in Chiang Mai!  Wait, Chaing Mai?

I continued reading the small paragraph on the next page about this temple he had visited, and he mentioned a gold leaf, and I remembered this gold leaf!  WTF!! 

Now, there over over 200 temples in Chiang Mai, and although this is a famous one (there are like 50 famous ones), its hard to get to way up in the mountains, so far off the beaten path.  This just couldn't be the same one.

 
I did a quick Google search, and BAM!!  There it was, the exact same temple I was just at moments ago.  Even the first image that popped up in Google was the exact shot I just took and posted to Facebook early that afternoon.  I was just completely shocked!

My picture

   

The chain of events are baffling to me with how random it all was.

The book that I planned to discard before I left, and was really disinterested in reading altogether.  The random trip up into the mountains that afternoon, up that particular side of the mountain.  The random temple I didn't feel like visiting and drove past, but somehow stumbled back upon without realizing, and feeling compelled to visit it once there.  All within the same hour, I decide to return to my room, and very randomly open the last chapter of this book to fall asleep to, and within only two pages the author randomly mentions his time at this exact temple, when the whole chapter is literally about Burning Man.  It's just one single paragraph in this book mentioning this temple, nothing more about it or Thailand. The timing of it just blows my mind!  I had been putting off reading this book for months. The unique circumstances and timing of my randomness that day couldn't have been anymore perfect for this to occur. 

It was a perfect storm alright!

The universe was clearly telling me:  I am where I'm suppose to be right now, in this moment. 

There's simply no denying this fact.

It moved me to tears, and still does.  It was overwhelming how powerful it felt, but I knew there was something greater at work here.  It all happened for a reason.  The reason telling me to continue this inspired journey.

I hear you universe, loud and clear!