Why Chiang Mai, Thailand?

I am often asked why I go to a certain country to live and I never really know how to answer the question without sounding like an idiot.  Let me introduce you to my thought process on choosing a place to live - it's really quite simple.  I see a photograph I like, it tends to be in National Geographic Traveller or something of the sort, and I say to myself "That's where I want to go".  I'm never content with just looking at a photo because that's all a photo is - a photograph.  There's much and more to seeing a place than just seeing it.  You experience it.  You live it.  You embrace it.



Gathering at MaeJo University for Loi Krathong

This is what brought me to Chiang Mai, Thailand.  A few years ago, I can't quite recall when, I saw a photograph of thousands of paper lanterns in the sky.  I thought it was so beautiful that I had to see it for myself!  I had never really given Thailand any thought before that and definitely had never heard of this Chiang Mai place.  All I knew of Thailand was that Bangkok sounded like a place I didn't want to go to (I still haven't been) and Phuket was where Jack got his mysterious tattoo on LOST.  I started reading more about Chiang Mai and decided it sounded like a nice fit for me, a smaller-than-Bangkok city near the mountains full of monks and locals who sell their handmade fare.  Boom.  Sold.  Especially after seeing more of those lantern photos. 



Monks chanting and praying



I've been in Chiang Mai since February and have finally experienced the lanterns!  Holy shit, it's one of the most beautiful experiences of my life!  It's the festival of Loi Krathong, which I still don't fully understand.  Loi Krathong is more of a "making peace for polluting the water" holiday and on the actual Loi Krathong day, thousands of "krathongs" are made from banana leaves and bread, filled with flowers and candles and set in the river to ask for forgiveness.  It is also a chance to pray and wash away your sins (depending on who you ask - I've had many different answers for what Loi Krathong is all about).  So, I still haven't worked out how the lanterns fit in to all of this.  None-the-less, coming to Thailand and living in Chiang Mai has been worth it for this one experience.



Parker lighting our ground lamp





Ground lamps lit and ready!

Lighting our lantern

At MaeJo University, they do the "big release" of the lanterns.  People come together and gather around.  An announcement is made to sit down at one of the ground lamps and silence is observed.  At nightfall the ceremony begins.  Monks begin to chant and pray and a sort of peace blankets everyone around.  This continues for about an hour, then we are invited to light the ground lamps.  More praying, more chanting.  The air is alight with the soft glow of firelight.  After another prayer, everyone is asked to open their lanterns and light them.  This is done by holding a fuel cell over the ground lamp and once on fire, hot air fills the lantern.  At once, everyone makes wishes and releases their lanterns in the sky!  All the people are extremely happy and cheerful, clapping and waving goodbye to their lanterns.  This process goes off in several waves as everyone has more than just one lantern to light, continuing this spectacle of peace and happiness over and over, again and again. 




Waiting for the lanterns to fill with hot air!

Make a wish and RELEASE!!
A similar picture to this is what brought me to Chiang Mai!

It is truly a beautiful, peaceful, and wonderful experience and I am extremely happy that it brought me to Chiang Mai.

If you're ever interested in experiencing Loi Krathong, the festival is held on the full moon of the 12th lunar month of the Thai calendar - typically that falls in November.  Chiang Mai (and I've also heard Mae Hong Son) is the place to be as this festival is more of a Lanna celebration (northern Thailand).  At MaeJo University, they hold the big lantern release - once for the locals, which is a free celebration, and once for tourists - which is not free (I've heard it costs upwards of $80 admission fee...not sure if that is correct as it sounds absurdly expensive!!).  I attended the local celebration, which I'm sure is less crowded than the one for the tourists.  Lanterns are 100 Baht (about $3) and free food and water are available on the grounds.  I encourage you to attend the Loi Krathong celebrations in Chiang Mai at least once in your life...I'm so happy I did - and they're not even over yet as the full moon is on Wednesday!  Yippee for meeee :)

Time for Round 2 :)

So if ever in the future you want to know why I am travelling to a country - Ask not Why, but What picture did I see?


Happy Lovely Trails!


UPDATE -
I was able to verify the price of the "big release" of lanterns for the tourists night: a hefty 3,000 baht ($100)!!!  Utterly ridiculous.  I'm definitely glad I knew about the locals/free night.

I also found out that the lantern release is relatively new to Loi Krathong, only having it done for less than 10 years.  My Thai boss does not agree with this new tradition which makes me wonder if all the Thai's feel the same way.  I've come to learn that ancient traditions and holidays have lost their luster for the sake money.  The pure fact that there are two "big release" nights - one free for the locals and one absurdly expensive night for the tourists proves my feelings.  I spent the actual Loi Krathong night (on Wednesday) at Tha Pae Gate for the parade and ended up leaving early.  It was overrun with pushy tourists and a bit dull after the beauty of Saturday night's shenanegans.  I'm so thankful I was able to spend last Saturday night in the company of friendly Thai's and not surrounded by the hoards of tourists that take over Chiang Mai in November.



A beautiful sight!

One more month...Pic of the Week

Today is the 21st of November, 2012.  Accroding to the Mayans, we've got ONE month left to live.  So naturally, this has me thinking of dead things - something that's not entirely out of the ordinary for me - I have a morbid obsession with dead things.  Not in a weird way.  One of my favourite jobs was working at a cemetery in Denver.  My co-workers were great...they wouldn't talk back, we never got into arguements and they did everything I would say.  For example, I would tell them to play dead, and they would!!  Because they were already there! Ha!  Just kidding.  I had living co-workers as well who were not so bad either.  During my lunch breaks on occasion, I would stroll through the grounds and read the headstones.  It's really amazing what you can find in a cemetery.

This week's Pic of the Week comes from the University Road Cemetery in Leicester, England. 



Photo of the Week:
Headstone in the ferns
University Road Cemetery, Leicester, England 2010



It's a really cool cemetery to wonder through if you ever find yourself in Leicester, and if that's your thing.  Many of the tombstones are lost in a sea of ivy and vines, some covered in daisies, many have been pushed over for fear that someone walks by and it falls on them.  At least if one ever did topple over on someone, they wouldn't have to take them far to bury them!

There are headstones with angels, birds, headless cherubs...there's even a headstone with an an achor and chain for a man who was lost at sea.  There is an angel for a bride, a tragic story of a woman killed on her wedding day.  Unfortunately, some wankers defaced the angel to have a KISS face.

If you're ever bored, I suggest talking a walk through a cemetery and read some of the stories on the headstones.  You never know who you might stumble upon (literally)! 

Also, for the next month, I suggest familiarizing yourself with the educational program The Walking Dead - it will teach you how to kill a zombie, properly.  One can never be too prepared for the Mayan Apocolypse, I always say!  Good luck to you and yours, and if you turn into a zombie, don't bite me.



Detail of a cartoon-like angel on a headstone
University Road Cemetery, Leicester, England 2010



Sacrifices

I'm sitting here on this Monday afternoon revelling in another Broncos win - their fifth straight - this week against the San Diego Chargers.  I went to the Broncos/Chargers game last year - it happened to be the game where Kyle Orton was benched and Tebow took over for the season.  Not a Tebow fan, I wasn't happy to see him take over for the rest of the season, but I was happy when Coach John Fox got rid of the 'bone and picked up Peyton Fucking Manning!!  PFM PFM PFM!!!

All this in mind, every time the Broncos play this year it pains my heart that I'm not there, at home, cheering on my boys.  I want to go to Sports Authority Field and watch Peyton Manning throw a game-winning touchdown pass, Von Miller sack an evil quarterback (mainly Tom DoucheBag Brady), Eric Decker catch a classic 80 yard pass, Champ Bailey make an interception...I fucking LOVE my Broncos.  Always have.  Always will.  In my veins, my blood runs orange and blue.

This brings me to sacrifice.  I get much praise from friends and family for doing what I do - pick up and move to a country I've never been to before and make a life out of nothing.  It's not easy, but it's about the only thing I feel I'm good at.  I love doing it and I love travelling, but it's definitely not without its sacrifices. 

You might think sacrificing the Denver Broncos is petty sacrifice (if so, you're probably not insane about football like me...I did say my blood runs orange and blue), but small sacrifices add up and can wear on a passionate soul. 

You should be aware by now that I'm also crazy insane about music.  When I'm home, or anywhere near a normal city that hosts concerts, I average on maybe 2 gigs a month - it's not really a lot, not for me anyways.  It's been 1 year and 75 days since my last gig.  I'm like a sober drug addict.  And it's horrible.  I hear about my favourite bands playing in Denver at my favourite venues and it sucks knowing I can't be there.  A few bands I would love to see will play the Southeast Asian circuit and stop in Singapore, so I get really excited thinking that I can just pop on down to Singapore for a weekend...then I see the ticket prices.  A show that would be $20 back home is $100 in Singapore.  WTF Singapore!!!  Do you not realize that's 1/8th of my paycheck?! Fuuuuuuuuck ooooooooffffff!!! 

In addition to the Broncos and concerts, I've missed out on many of my friends's weddings, babies, family functions, having a relationship of my own...all in the name of travel.

My Broncos situation isn't near as dire as it was in England, there are a few bars in town that air repeats of NFL games the next day.  However, watching NFL in Thailand isn't great.  Football is a true American sport and there is the atmosphere that goes with watching the games.  I don't feel like I can cheer, scream, taunt the opposition (because there are not that many football fans in Thailand, so you're lucky to find the opposition in the same bar), scream more, swear, throw things at the tv...if I even clap, it feels awkward and out of place.  It's just not fun.  If the game is still on in Denver when I go to work in the morning, I'll follow the Broncos Gameday live Twitter feed...Broncos score a touchdown and I scream and cheer in my office - my fellow foreign teachers (who hail from Germany, Holland and England) look at me like I'm a freak.  Uh, dudes, you're the freaks 'cause you like soccer.  Boom.  I said it.

Anyways, all I'm saying is don't be too envious of my journey, because I'm just as envious of yours.  I've made a lot of sacrifices to be here, sometimes it's easy, but most of the time it's hard.  Especially knowing one of your best friend's is walking down the aisle and you can't be there.  Or your family is getting together for that yearly BBQ and you're missing out on it again.  Please don't think I'm not grateful for my journey, I wouldn't be here if that was the case.  Like I said, I love travelling, I just miss out on a lot that I would like to be a part of. 

One more thing: GO BRONCOS!!!

Happy Trails.

A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere - Pic of the Week

Pic of the week comes to you on the anniversary of my first Death Cab for Cutie concert, straight from Rock City in Nottingham, England - 15 November, 2008.

If you know me at all, you know I'm crazy for music.  I love music more than anything in the world.  Well wait, lets be real...it's in a tie with my love for travel.  I really mean that in a literal sense.  I love music (and travel) more than ANYTHING. 

Death Cab for Cutie slowly became my all-time favourite band.  Lead singer Benjamin Gibbard just knows how to write a song.  He's a lyric genius.  His writing is clever and inventive and when his lyrics come together in a melody, it all just makes sense. 

I was living in Leicester, England in 2008 - a town that is not host to many concerts.  If you want to see a show, you've got to journey to either Birmingham or Nottingham.  So when Death Cab announced a show at Rock City in Nottingham, I called up my friend to see if she wanted to go.  She didn't really know their music, but I gauranteed her they were brilliant.  I told her to make absolutely sure she could go, which she assured me she available.  Three days before the show, she text me to say she forgot it was her friend's birthday and therefore couldn't make it :-/  In a rush of panic, I posted on Facebook that I had an extra ticket if anyone wanted to come (I had never been to a show solo and didn't want to start now).  A friend living in Yorkshire said she would love to go, didn't have to work, and we should make a weekend out of it in Notts - book a hotel and lets have a girly weekend!  Hotel booked (on my credit card), tickets in hand, and my friend called me (day of) to say plans changed and she did indeed have to work that night.  Greeeat.  Now I've paid for two tickets and a hotel room.  I really didn't want to go to the show alone and desperately tried to find someone to go with, without any luck.  I almost backed out on going until I realized it's Death Cab for Cutie.  My favourite band.  Fuck it - I don't care if I'm alone - I'm going!

Going to a concert solo isn't a bad thing.  I feared people would be staring at me, wondering why this loser was alone at a show.  That's not the case.  We're all coming together to enjoy the same thing.  We all have something in common.  A deep love for Death Cab. 


Pic of the Week:
Death Cab for Cutie
Rock City, Nottingham, England
15 November, 2008

I fucking love concerts.  In my mind, there is no better feeling than the pounding of the music, bursting your ears and beating your soul.  I can feel it coursing through my veins and I drink it up!  My world evaporates and all I can focus on is the music.  I swear, the music venue could be hit by a plane and I wouldn't know.

The biggest sacrifice I have made in moving to Southeast Asia is going to shows.  Sacrifice one love for another.  Every once in a while, I hear of a show I'd love to see playing in Singapore.  I get this crazy notion (well, it's not so crazy) to just fly to Singapore to see a show.  Yeah, not after I see the ticket price!!  A show that would cost maybe $20 in the States is $100 in Singapore.  WTF!!!  Until I meet a rich man with the same love for music, my shows have been put on the back burner.  (Death Cab was one of those Singapore shows I had to back out on.  Damn shame).  If any of you know any handsome, available, rich men that love music, feel free to send them my way.

I've only had the fortunate experience of seeing Death Cab for Cutie twice and both times, they were "spiritual" experiences for me.  (Anyone who loves music the way I do understands what I mean when I say spiritual).  Benjamin Gibbard is one of two people that I need to meet at some point in my life.  Just to thank him personally for the music he helps create.  If anyone knows Benny G, I'd appreciate it if you hook a sista up ;)

Happy melodic Trails!

The political one.

I meant to get this blog out last week, but as I was really busy with school, it had to wait.  I'm not a person that likes to argue politically and, up until this election, really didn't voice any opinions about politics other than who I was voting for.  Mainly because I operate on a motto that I don't talk about politics or religion - you never know who you are going to offend.

Saying that, I need to speak up after reading a select few status updates on Facebook of some Republican friends of mine.  I can't believe how obstinate (some) Republicans have become.  With news coming in of President Obama's re-election, some people where saying how our country is "doomed" and we're all "screwed".  Really?  Doomed?  That seems a little excessive.  Other Republican friends that work for the government said they were probably going to lose their jobs.  Why?  Why are we doomed and why are you going to lose your job because our President was re-elected?  Drama queens.  

I first started my big travel expeditions in 2004, two months before the Bush v. Kerry election.  Not really knowing where I was headed, I ended up in Scotland.  Having been in the UK for about a week, I found it very clear that Bush was not a popular guy.  Upon my arrival in Edinburgh, I was asked by an Australian family if I wanted to join them for a drink in our hostel.  Travelling alone, I kindly agreed.  When I sat down with them, the first thing they asked me was who was I voting for in the election.  I told them I wasn't voting as I hadn't applied for my absentee ballot in time, but given the chance it would have been Kerry.  The Aussie family then said it was okay for me to still have a drink with them....I'm not sure what they would have done had I said I was voting for Bush. 

During the Bush Administration, most of my time was spent living abroad and Americans became less and less popular.  I would meet random people in pubs and, after hearing my accent, they would start bitching me out claiming how they fought in MY war.  Uh, it's not MY war, fool.  I didn't start the shit.  I know these people were drunken idiots, but case-in-point, this did happen on several occasions.

Then came the 2008 election.  When Barack Obama won, you could almost hear a sigh of relief flowing over the United Kingdom.  All of the sudden, it seemed like the international population decided Americans aren't so bad as to elect this guy into office.  This guy that inspires hope for a new generation and promises to change our country in a positive way.  Over the last four years, I have personally felt an increase in popularity with the way the world views Americans. 

Now to the election last week.  I could feel a new found fear from my friends across the globe as the news was reporting how tight the race was becoming.  My friends scattered around Europe, Asia, and Australia were hoping that the US population would be sensible and re-elect Obama, and not send our progress backwards.  Some of what I was reading about the presidential debates talked of foreign affairs.  I didn't read much into it, I just know it was a main topic of discussion.  When I think of "foreign affairs", I think of the relationship foreign countries have with the US.  Living abroad for the better part of the last 8 years, I can tell you this much: President Barack Obama is fucking loved by the world.  I'm smart enough to realize that there is more to foreign affairs than just being loved, but I think that's a pretty good start.

Just as a side note, last Tuesday I held presidential elections in my classes.  A total of (or round about) 100 students cast their vote in the election.  I think there was a grand total of 5 votes for Mitt Romney.  Every time I read a ballot that had Obama's name on it, the classes cheered and applauded!  A 95% popular vote at Wachirawit School!  Numbers don't lie...my students love Obama!

In Thailand, I didn't "feel" as much of the election as I did in 2008 while I was in England.  Thai's seem more disengaged from anything that's not right in their face.  From what I've seen, they don't tend to think about consequences because a consequence happens in the future - and the future doesn't exist.  However, I read the reactions from my international friends to the elections and not ONE negative thing was said.  Only by the disappointed Reps back home who think we're "doomed". 

Well, I had to put up Bush, Dick, and Colin for 8 years (Colin for only 4), you can put up with BaROCK for another 4 :)

Congratulations, Mr. President, you're well loved all over the world!  I'm proud to have voted for you.

I'm back on the Thai food train...

Two weeks ago I moved into a new apartment and it's absolutely lovely.  It's in a nice, quiet Thai neighbourhood - well far away from the noisy tourist night bazaar I was living by.  My landlord and his wife are pretty freakin amazing - he's Korean/American and she's Thai and in the last two weeks, I have come to regard them as friends. 

Food is always a main topic in Thailand as the food in Thailand is one of the country's main attractions.  Thai food for me recently has been really off-putting.  My school offers the teachers free lunch everyday and believe me when I say I wouldn't feed it to my imaginary dog.  Imagine soggy rice or overcooked noodles that are stuck together in giant blobs, soggy overcooked veggies in some kind of "sauce" that looks suspiciously like granule gravy, meat floating in a giant vat of soup/water that's boiling on top of a propane tank (I use the word "meat" loosely - it's mostly bone and fat, you're lucky if you get a tiny bite of something edible off the bone).  The food is vile and most of the time, I will force a few spoonfuls of rice down my gullet and head across the street to 7-11 between classes for a quick bag of Lays and a Snickers bar to tie me over until the end of the school day when I can find a farang (foreign) eatery and sink my teeth into a juicy cheeseburger.

I'm fine with eating farang food all of the time here.  Unlike other countries, international food in Thailand is just as delicious as their home fare.  The only problem is farang food costs about 5 times as much as Thai food. 


Sunday Walking Street food served at one of the temples. 
There are about 20 different types of food to choose from, ranging
from 10cent to $1.

 This is where my new landlord comes in.  Discussing the aforementioned at length, him and his wife are trying to introduce me to some new Thai food besides the "khao pad guy" I only know how to order (chicken fried rice!).  In the last few weeks, I have had some mighty tasty dishes and have probably saved myself about 1,000 baht ($30).  One of the best main meals is pork leg with rice - the pork is insanely tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  But what I've really come to discover are Thai desserts!  I've been introduced to these amazing pastries - creamed filled doughy things (new definition I've created) that's a party in my mouth with every bite.  Even more delicious is something called Bayteuy (at least I think that's what it's called, I'm shit with learning Thai) - it's these balls of green jelly things that look like peas in a sweet and salty coconut soup - and it's really delicious!!  I had something similar the other day, a surprise wrapped up in a banana leaf, daringly bought from a street vendor....it was little mini cups of the green jelly thing with a thick sweet/salty coconut cream on top.  It was lovely!  I will start documenting new food adventures to add here and keep you posted on new food finds!

Here are a few from tonight (although they're not "new" food finds - I've had them before).  I headed out to the Sunday Walking Street market, where I love eating.  You can get samples of food for under $1, and being how it's so cheap, you can try a plethora of different things!  This was my tasty dinner this fine evening:



Chicken satay with peanut sauce
and cucumber relish





Chicken dumplings on a bed of
cabbage and soy sauce



Tasty, bite sized treats - front from left: Taro puff, flour sugar cookie, coconut pasty
from back: pineapple pie, coconut pie
Each piece is 2 baht, bite-sized and delicious!



I'll be sure to keep you informed on my new food adventures.  If my landlord's wife has anything to do with it, I'll be gaining those 40 pounds back that I've lost over the last 11 months...

Happy Tasty Trails!

:)

White Frangipanis - Photo of the Week

It's been a crazy busy week this week and Friday has (fortunately) snuck up on me pretty quickly.  Although, I wasn't able to get all my work done for school during the week and will now spend part of my weekend making mid-term exams for my students.  Sigh.  But, it's Friday!  So I'm still going to rejoice!

This week's Photo of the Week comes to you from the Royal Flora gardens in Chiang Mai.  In June, we had a school field trip to the gardens and had the run of the place - during the rainy season, the gardens shut down to guests, with the exception of school trips apparently. 



Photo of the Week: White Frangipanis
For sale at www.artforconservation.org/artists/racephotography

 In between teaching the students about recycling and being green, my fellow teachers and I were able to walk around and enjoy the flowers.  I grabbed this shot fresh after a rainstorm along a row of frangipani trees - my favourite flowers.  They're so beautiful, smell absolutely delicious, and lucky for me they're all over Thailand.

I have edited this photo, softened the edges and gave it a "painted" appearance.

You may or may not know, I sell photography on the side.  I've just re-vamped my website, got rid of the old and added a few of the new with a purely Asian inspired theme.  This photo is currently for sale starting from $35.  Additionally, a portion of the profits is donated to the Surfrider Foundation - an organization dedicated to cleaning and protecting our beaches an oceans.  Check them out for more information, they serve a really great purpose!! http://www.surfrider.org/

Check out the rest of my photography for sale (shameless plug)www.artforconservation.org/artists/racephotography.  I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, help out a great cause....then tell your friends ;)




Wachirawit Primary school trip to Royal Flora, Chiang Mai, Thailand.  June 2012


Keep on keepin' on!
LG

The Wonderful World of Disney

A tiger prowling through Cambodian temples on Disneyland's Jungle Cruise

I grew up in a world of Disney.  I loved Disney as a child and still do as an adult (although I’m more a fan of classic movies – pre-Pixar computer animation and unnecessary 3D).  However, I’ve got a bone to pick with my dear friend Walt.  The Jungle Book was one of my favourites and led me to believe that if I went in a jungle, I would see animals – everywhere.   Tigers prowling through forests of bamboo, playful elephants bathing in the rivers, panthers stalking in the trees and preparing to pounce on its unaware prey, boas curled up in the tree branches, monkeys swinging from bough to bough…you get the idea.  This belief was further fuelled by The Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland.  What I believed in the aforementioned actually came alive – albeit animatronically – on the Cruise.




Disneyland's Jungle Cruise - elephants playing in the river

Spending two weeks on the outskirts of Thai and Cambodian jungles, I now feel like my entire childhood was falsified.  I didn’t see any tigers.  I didn’t see any panthers or giant snakes trying to eat me.  The only elephants I saw where elephants used by trekking companies for tourists.  I did see some monkeys, I’ll give Walt that much – but they weren’t singing (good thing I was smart enough to know that animals don’t talk or sing or I might be having an identity crisis right now!). 

Mischevious monkeys on the beach

 I don’t really feel like my entire childhood was falsified, that would be extreme.  What Walt Disney did get right, was the scenery.  Walking around the magnificent temple of Ta Prohm, I felt like I was in the Jungle Book, waiting for Mowgli and Baloo to come running out, away from the trawls of King Louie.  

If you’re expectant on finding hordes of creatures prowling through jungles on your adventures, sure you might find a few, but you’re better off going to a zoo.  Or better yet, let your imagination run wild (I’m not a fan of zoos). 

However disappointed I was at not seeing those tigers and panthers in the wild, I'm still living out those real-world Disney dreams (no, not the princess ones...).  Maybe next time I'll take a diving course and journey under the sea in search of Ariel, Sebastian and Flounder, or I'll head to the Middle Eastern deserts to find Aladdin's golden lamp filled with thrice-wish-giving genies.



The temple of Ta Prohm, Angkor, Cambodia

Happy Trails!

P.S. Instead of searching for those hidden jungle animals, just look for the Bear Necessities ;)