zen and the art of motorcycle riding

I am feeling a slow shift into being not only more present with myself, but being in an observer role much more.... there is a sense of calm... and I am enjoying the now...

 I think this is some kind of bush that looks like blackeyed susannes.


and I think of the rake as ... rest and work.. work and rest... balance.










the pictures below... same same but different

This is a who knows by the side of the road.... so I call it Kilroy was here.

Friends in the sun with an ear up.... is below

 family picnic by the water

who said Khoy Soi Goi.... I know goi... that is me.

Today was a good day in the country.  It is a long windy hilly sharpe turn ride..but the scenery that can go by faster than our eye can click... Took some time to stop at a waterfalls.... so these are a few pictures of the waterfalls

 This couple were just sitting by the waterfalls enjoying a conversation.. ..it was a very heart warming shot......

I liked the rope look of the tree growing out of the rock and casting a shadow on the stone.

So we ventured on to Samong.. which I call strawberryville.  It is very hard to get a sense of the severe turns and steep grades.   I don't want someone there to be there with me but I think Joe and John would find the ride a kick in the head... miles of turns and climbs.... you really have to be in the moment... if you are not here and now and now and here... you could easily be there and then.... and gone.      This is just one of the turn and downs.

The view from the top of the Samung Valley look out... 

10,000 Monks

I got out of bed at 4:45 this AM after having been awake every hour on the hour.  I had to ring the bell three times to get out and pick up Jeannne... but we got there.   Note to self.. If you get there at 7...sit on the right side of the street...just as good as getting there at 5 and much better than sitting on the left.   All good  They laid out plastic sheets on the ground with red stripes where the monks walk.  in about a half hour, the streets started to fill and by 7 packed.

Chanting and speaches went on and on... In this pic, the woman with the glasses is passing a stick with money to the woman in the shall.   The sun is up now and it is starting to get hot.

 It is always amazing how calm and quiet the children are.  Many were there close to 5:30 and this big kid was having trouble sitting.          


There were some interesting adults.. and again the long lens can get some shots without intruding.  The girl on the left was munching on the monk food.  Maybe she thought sweet snacks would not be a good offering.

This woman walked by and while it is not a full face shot... I think it was interesting.   

There are many attractive women.. but the rugged is more interesting to me.

There are young old red brown monks of all discriptions

ChaingMai Countdown

It takes very little for Chaingmai to toss a party.  New Years is a great excuse.  It would appear that the event (stage and music) are sponsored by the post office and the internet.  Strange combo

The music is really pretty good.. and while most are walking around trying to eat some of this and that... folks appear to keep one ear on the tunes.


have learned from my thai leacher that most of the beauties have gone to Korea to get fixed. eyes and noes mostly,,,,but check out the shoes.



This was one of the women from an internet station

These were woman selling product or food.  the one at the right... just sat there.. doesn't look like a good day.

I had the worst ice cream I have ever had.  and I could taste it all night.  Dorian is a fruit that stinks... as in it is banned from trains... how bad could the ice cream be... BAD.


There are many people eating the fish.. I just don't do fish









The fruit is mostly fresh cut.. the strawberry is not native and it is rumored to have many chemicals..but they look great  








this is ice cream was chocolate and vanilla



This is far from ice cream but octapus balls. and in rolled up octapus.





 Flanks of pork cooking

 and these are little little qual that could be nibbling at my feeder

 stuffed hot dogs

and for me...the best part.... the hugging Italian

The Razor's Edge

I have been here before...   It is a place that is like stopping in your tracks to say.. who am I .. where am I .. and am I really connected to anything  but the vapors that give me shape.

I watched the movie Billy Elliott last night and remembered it was the last time my Mom and I went to a movie house.  I am beginning to accept and understand beyond intellectually that everything is really impermanent.  There is solace in pain being fleeting but less in joy being on the way out as soon as it is felt.  I have just begun to recognize my sticky spots... those places that hook me to stuck... 
I get stuck to the attachment of the sensual pleasures.. a nice mean, beautiful woman, nice smell.. and i am stuck to my view and opinions... the babbles that come out of myself and others
I hold to notions...concepts... beliefs that are like anchors on the bottom of the ocean.  No wonder I could not swim.  This gives new meaning to let go....
I was going to a dark spot... of alone, isolated, rejected, and then... I got the "buttercup" (Scott will know)... and I just laughed.. and felt light and amused at all my seriousness.

perspective gives you the branches .. or the flower.... life is a continuous choice.

Check in reflections (SB)

There is a funny little artist at the Sunday market who just sits and draws. When someone comes by to buy something, he doesn't look up. Last night I was on a quest for a new pair of heavy black pants for home and house shoes. Found both… pants – 170 ($5) and leather slippers 500 ($15). I catch up with Jeannine, see H&H, had an ice green tea, a plate of penne with fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella. The market was the most crowded last and it took me about 7 min to walk a block. One of his funny signs reminded me of Cheryl Arena's description of the walking street…. CHAF on steroids. So his little art piece that said… I buy stuff I don't want, with money I don't have, to impress people I don't like….. Really hit the mark.

To back up the day, I get up later on Sunday. Nothing is scheduled until 6 PM at the Wawee Coffee Shop at the market. So easy time to reflect. At dinner the night before, the other dinner guest was a vegan. I think a convert to anything is zealous but a vegan is into recruiting more than most. The dinner was at a place of Hanna's choosing and I had gone by to see what there was to eat. Many of the items were pork. They don't have a veggie section on the menu and there were only a few items that even hinted at such. A vegan does not want oyster sauce, fish sauce, etc. and then if they are into natural products they don't want soy products since Monsanto is called Montsatano. The second the word Vegan is mentioned, I get a cold sweat and terror and a bad memory pops into my head. I rather zoned out on the conversation and started singing in my head when and "expert" Dr… was mentioned as The Authority. I think I can take the Daniel Plan easier since it is the Vegan way but just not that word. I will have to look at this more carefully.

What was hysterical was the waiter has suggested to her the mushroom soup. She has a plate of plain stir fried veggies and I had the soup which contained more bones and beef than I have seen and was beyond salty….. it was Hanna's birthday.. is all good but it will be my last visit to this restaurant.

To end the evening…I had brought a very small cake… about the size of a saucer and Hanna was masterful in getting four pieces out of a quarter of the cake. It is her cake and her day. However, it was an amazing feat that someone could slice that small a sliver with a cheap dinner knife. I wanted to the Oliver impression… more please but I came home and had some cheese and crackers. It is all good. The lesson here again is… seek your own truth. You cannot do that if your head is full of past history, belief, drama and dogma. You have to be open to see if what is now presented is your truth… how does it set.

Ajahn Sumano Bhikkhu, the Jewish Attorney from Chicago who has been a forest monk for most of his adult life has a new book which I am reading as my carry along book (with me when I wait or drink my coffee). I think I am starting to get closer to how to live in the home world. Much of my life process has to be about gathering information…and now I wonder, for what purpose? I am a stockpile of disconnected ideas and thoughts. Some of the stuff is helpful and useful…my sense of volume (how much will fit in what container.. or how big a space do I need between the cars and the curb to ride a scooter in Thailand). I am grateful to one of my home buddies for writing often to tell me of the latest annoyance at home… they bulldozed the homeless site… but didn't make plans to shelter the folks. There was an international TV show last night about the homeless – millions. In the eastern countries they are passing out blankets and bringing hot soup. In the piece about the US. The folks said…."they don't want a hand out but a hand up" and the piece went on to say that in the US several cities has said that when it gets below 14 degrees, they open temporary shelters… Temporary solutions to a non temporary issue. So what is all of this re my quest…. I can do nothing about it… It is not that I don't want to know about it.. but I don't need to comment or go after more story… I am not indifferent. But not available to give my energy. I see many in my life, friends, family as pretty surface and without much opinion about issues. That is ok for I am going to have much less verbalized opinion about things that I am only available to observe. If I am just information seeking…. Stop. I will end world conflict by ending the conflict inside. This doesn't mean that I will not get into the solution at some point. But for now… it is another beautiful day in paradise ..think…. will I Iet it pass by?

 

    

Today was Hanna’s birthday.  I found a cake and some candles on the next Soi going toward the ChaingMai Gate.  We met tonight with a vegan friend of H&H. 

Earlier in the day, I had breakfast with Jeannine and then went to my meditation group and one of the larger Wat’s.

The foreign visitors are really down… this area is usually bustling

I read for some time in the garden and was joined by three animals.  Only the bird had energy… 

I see he biggest difference in the children... Thai boys appear more bright eyed and curious...