New Year's Eve

When you travel across several time zones your clock gets confused. When your body doesn't know what to eat or when, you add to the tiredness. I slept most of the day but did get to the  Gate for the celebration.  I believe that this is not the start of the new year for the Thai calendar (birth of Buddha) but any opportunity for family to gather and a holiday is reason enough to take a holiday and send off some fireworks. H&H were not well so we did not meet for dinner. I had a baked potato which I ate walking down the back alley with Jeannine. She was going to connect with some friends which gave me more opportunity to pay attention to my hearing needs. Fireworks are readily available here and everyone appears to want to either send them up with the lantern or just shoot them off. Amazingly no one appeared to be hurt or burned but bang bang was the sound of the evening.
For  lunch I stopped at the Dada Cafe near the Mungala clinic and had a Mr Energy Smoothie pineapple and GINGER.  It gave me so much energy I went home and slept for three hrs. Sitting at the next table were a family of four. Getting me from here to there is hard enough but to schlep two little ones in strollers is beyond my imagination.  The one was passed out on mom's lap but the other had such a nice face, I wanted to share.

I also thought what a great cost is to order food for children that would rather play with the food than eat.

I rode the bike to Jeannine's guest house and then walked from there so I am keeping up the exercise. Today I will get back on track with my study, meditation, and food. 

I also had a good day, I fixed the zipper on my  suitcase.  I will get heavy thread and needles to assure it will not open. 

So for a learned lesson.  Very few people are working on themselves. Most really don't want to know what others observe but prefer to believe they are loved and wonderful.  Emotional attachment to your own fantasy of how you are seen is more important than someone else's opinion. I have caused myself grief by giving an opinion when it was not requested. I can and will have opinions but unless some one's actions will hurt another, they are just my opinions and I will live with them.  I will not isolate but be much more careful about attachments and selective with friends.  I am more interested in living than passing time at the"beach".

Ok back to the New Year's celebration. 

This is a collage I put on Facebook. The photos were taken primarily to the left of the Thapee Gate. The top photo is actually the after shot. What goes up must come down and so this morning the street sweepers will be picking up thousands of spent lanterns. When I lived on the bay as I walked through the parking lot I thought half of Irondequoit must have been conceived there.  Seeing these grey paper mounds reminded me of the parking lot condoms.

There were many selling the lanterns. They tried to get the people to light them away from the trees but some were so interested in lighting and the lift off that they did not pay attention to the direction. I think that is another lesson. The bottom left is Jeannine and her lantern and the others are just some of the different shapes - big small heart shaped, etc.

This also is a religious time for re commitment to the precepts so I passed through a Wat on the way back to the bike.  And all is well and a new day....think will you let it pass uselessly away.

Monday happy eating

I did not feel super yesterday so i took to the bed and slept most of the day. I am to eat carefully as in nothing fried, no fruit,  yogurt...so good excuse for a jok day. I am not a fish eater but in setting up the fish picture, I realized the fish was alive and seeking air. I enjoy the eggplant picture much more. The final shot is a Buddha...from which Wat?

Sunday late Dec 2013

I am finally on my Acer which means I have a keyboard and can do some things differently with the pictures. It was a long night since my body woke me up to say.... best be in the bathroom. I had portage and now I am just tired....so no place to go... until 5:30 and I will take a good nap..Many of the little places are closed for the New Year. The non Chinese Thai will celebrate the same as US. During my up for bathroom several hours, I watched a Chinese movie about expectations and disappointment. It is all good and I am getting clearer about some mistakes I have made that have caused me some unhappiness and some actions that I have taken that have eased my way but may have caused some unhappiness.  It is interesting the judgments we make and that others about us.  After a few days...I am feeling much more settled.
There are several new places to eat...nice kitchen which is run by the blue diamond family and Funky Dog which takes its name from the little guy sitting out in front.

   The two women in the pictures were cooking in the little soi market..
I think they are following the father Mayer command to cook hard.
And so another laze Sunday with the market this evening...and all is good..

finally awake

I knew I was in trouble as I felt my eyes going closed as I was eating with H&H. The trip was longer since I left home mid day on Christmas eve and  arrived here at 11 pm the day after with only snatch and grab shut eye...I was very tired.  Last night I was in bed from 8pm until 7am and actually got about 9 hrs sleep.

Dried fruit and nuts

I was grateful to run into H&H for breakfast since I knew Hanna was concerned about my driving home last night. Her Dr apt appears to have gone well. The diet is salt free which is not easy to explain in Asia. Having to eat out all the time is also very hard on a strict food program.
Today I was on a quest for a sweatshirt.  Size is one thing and winter clothing in a usually warm climate I not easy.

This relief above  was on a statue in a Watt.

I will not be visible in the camouflage sweatshirt.

This I am calling, eating on the job. I love the colors and the complexity of what might appear a simple life.

same same but .....

Hong Kong to Bkk  is not as far but NYC to Hong Kong was still 2 meals and 4 movies.  The Chinese are conservative with water.  I had 2 bottles with me and drank both.  This time upon arrival I went to the taxi desk and got a cab. Throughout the trip everyone helped with bags and doors etc. even when I did not want help. This cabbie got the memo and at 11:30 at night after schlepping through 3 airports and miles of moving and non moving walkways. I am almost not moving and the cabbie walked three feet ahead of me (now feeling like a little old lady in need of help). As he looked at the paper with the address in Thai and English...and asked the name of the place again and got the same answer...InstantStable...he finally said do you know where you are going. Of course my response was yes.   I know how to get there in daylight from Rod's but how hard could this be? I was good by the airport plaza, customs, the elephant statutes and even the u turn. Then we started down a very dark street with all the shops and bars dark. Where is the place? Soi 6....was my only response...a Soi 7 and the next block Soi 6 was all dark. I could make out the sign IntentStable...ok close,  paid the cabbie and stepped away with my bags on a deserted street with a locked gate.
The universe must have recognized my state for a man on a motorcycle came up called someone and the gate opened. I hope this happens at the heavenly gates. I am sure the woman was only expecting the gentleman caller but she went to a building in the back fetched a woman in a flannel nightgown who came out and hugged me and said I looked different.
The bungalow I am in is not the same one I looked at...the next one over and smaller but same same.  Beth would like this it is in Lana style.  Desk, small refrigerator, HARD king bed with no top sheet and one blanket (Rod was not kidding about it being cold. I folded the blanket and was warm enough). The three step down bath reminds me of the Nest. Since this is a new built place there are 7 electrical outlets..so I am wired and recharged.
Before my host left me for the night she wanted to know if I wanted food...my new body must cause her to think I am in need of repair.  There is a little box for my valuable items and a bike lock for the front door.
I will buy a pillow at the Sunday market for my less padded butt on the stool. I am up for Rod's drop in class today, then off for supplies...tea,deodorant, coconut shampoo, TP, and a thick towel.
There is a rooster, and there was a cat sleeping on my porch, but I heard nothing from the Wat next door.  It is QUIET....
Hopefully I will hook up with H&H for dinner and stop by Jeannine's later.
I will find out about the gate at night and then,  I will call this home.

hong kong

Thank you Monika for the Trader Joe chocolate. It has become my travel food. I was grateful for my  water bottles since the Chinese did not push water like the Thai and Korean air.  I also was pleased to get an end seat. I did 4 movies and slept for an hour. When I got to Starbucks and the sign said $41 for a Turkey sandwich. True but Hong Kong $ so it was only $6.
I have lost my pillow, earphones and and broken my duffle zipper but I found the bungalows and have organized the room.  This was Hong Kong airport. Until tomorrow....

a new pen

This journey to the the land of smiles feels like a journey to my true self. I will be with my Thai Canadian friends, but for the first time, no one from home. I finished the house and it is time to move on and follow my personal path and leave the expectations of others. Somewhere as I walk the streets, kneel in morning mindfulness, I will be on a quest to reach into my soul to take pictures with a clear and honest head. In doing so I will let the words tumble on to pages so I can try to find my voice and watch my thinking..  There will be photo pictures for the viewer and word pictures so I can watch my writers mind fid voice.
Not everyone likes every writer, the style, the words, but that doesn't matter.
The first words I put on paper were songs, then the Haiku. I have gotten lost in the politics of writing for an audience and making nice. I bore me. When true to my soul I sing of overcoming and injustice..the time has come to get back to myself. I will struggle but the journey is all that matters and if I leave people...thanks for walking as long as you did...but farewell.  So hang on this will be a bumpy ride.