"May I Wander"

"May I wander not too far from Home, but just far enough to satisfy my soul..."

Holiday Nirvana

You know you've reached Holiday Nirvana when you have surrendered to any sense of time, place and space. I wake up when I'm rested, I go to sleep when I'm tired and I eat at the slightest pang of hunger. There are no external dictates, but for the occasional pick-up time when my driver arrives!

To revel in the art of total relaxation, in the physical and mental dimension - that's Holiday Nirvana. It's where drowsy tranquility and laziness merge. It's where you are cast in a heady spell that leaves you so content to fill your days without a great deal of thought for the future.

It's where you are reminded of the sweetness of life with a simple bite into a coconut pancake. But more significantly, it 's when you are not wrought with guilt of days spent so frivolously...when you realize that there's room for all-kinds of dimensions to one's travel experience and you can take pleasure in the balance!

The Soul (Heart & Gut) is in The Food

Had the munchies around midnight last night while cruising the local side of the night bazaar so I stopped at a noodle stand that I stalked the night before. Had no idea what I got myself into - just pointed at some glass noodles and various herbs, spices and condiments. The cook mixed them all together, poured the concoction into a bowl - and I had the tastiest, and certainly most memorable bowl of soup I've had the pleasure of indulging in at the venerable midnight hour. At the cost of 15 baht (45 cents), it sent my palate into a blissfull state of sastisfaction.

(I would be remiss if I failed to mention that I regurgitated the noodles and its accoutrements the following day in the afternoon hour. While visiting a temple, I made an unintended donation to Lord Buddha. To my credit, I did it with finesse and grace...I found myself a spot along the mountain side, perched myself behind a bush and shared my noodles from the night before with the "Other World").

In my humble experience, the most authentic, soulful and tastiest foods of any given cultural enclave and community come from the streets - figuratively and literally. So in my quest for gastronomical adventure, I haven't stayed away from the "different,", the "unusual," the "interesting," and the "unfamiliar." I've always felt that when you open yourself up to food in that way, you open yourself up to the people and their culture - as so much of the soul, heart and gut of a community are reflected in their culinary art - the preperation, the presentation and the humble giving of one's self.

(So your tummy might reject a meal or two - that just goes to show how sanitized our tummies are...a direct consequence of our obsession with our sanitized approach to food - the result being often times accepting soul-less meals at worst, and nourishing ourselves behind the veneer of the "safety of the bland" at best).

The Warmth of Tranquil Chiang Mai

While Bangkok assaults the senses, Chiang Mai greets you with a warm, calm and tranquil welcome. Bangkok boasts the great Chao Praya, Chiang Mai offers the more sedate Mei Ping. Bangkok is aflood with taxis, Chiang Mai has 30. Chiang Mai invites you to stroll to take in its many sights. (When you tire, there are tuk tuks available for hire).

At once, this town evokes familiarity - even to the first time visitor. Chiang Mai encourages you to explore. It's not intimidating. It's easy-going - much a reflection of the Thai people here.

Woke up to a crisp cool morning in Chiang Mai and set out early to discover the secrets of the old town behind the Tha Pae Gate. On the tuk tuk ride over to the Old City, we meandered through tiny nooks, crossed the bridge over the Mei Ping...I felt like Katherine DeNeuve out of a scene of "Indochine."

Did away with the map obsession. Did I think my foray into this new world would be any different from my penchant for "losing myself?" Thank God it's just my physical dimension that has no sense of direction...Besides, the more I burried myself in my maps, the less I saw of the things that really mattered! So, I chucked the maps and decided to be guided by whim and fancy - turned out to be a terrific strategy .

A Cultural Buzz Kill

12-30-2005 - It is not only a profound dillemma, but a truism for every world traveler...while immersed in a culture other than their own, there will be a time and place in which one will feel that other culture's practices and mores to be uncomfortable...and at times, downright unpleasant...but that's part of the necessary journey in emancipating one's self of egocentric and ethnocentric views...that is for anyone open to embracing an experience that's different from their own...

....this time had come for me...

After an afternoon of wicked jetskiing and a solemn moment of connecting with kindred spirits of the next world, we had dinner and went to watch a Muay Thay match. I was taken aback at the two small figures in the ring. Were they kids? And was one a girl? How old were they? Yes, they were kids, yes one girl was matched with one boy and they were both 6 years old.

Up to that point, I had two cocktails and had my "drink-groove" on...all at once it hit me...BUZZ kill.

The argument is an all too familiar one - THIS represented economic freedom for these kids and their families...they were the fortunate ones...this was their outlet to empower themselves and their families financially...such a played out intellectual cliche (NOTE: After each match, the kids approach the spectators to solicit funds). But THIS was not my intellectual challenge nor the source of my internal conflict. What I found more challenging and a struggle to reconcile was that I was surrounded by ADULTS (much like myself) who were there as spectators and actually enjoyed it...and perhaps even gambled on the match! More academic jargon...were we sanctioning the "exploitation" of THESE children by being there?

Bangkok - An assault to the Senses!

12-30-2005 - Bangkok is an assault to the senses! All at once it hits you - the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and the feelings that Bangkok evokes and exudes...One becomes enraptured and mesmerized at the cacaphony of paradoxes this city HURLS at you. The juxtaposition of the Thai people going about their daily life amidst an invasion of foreign commerce, tourists, backpackers, and soon to be expats; a city in which people dwell along the great Chao Praya on stilted homes that neighbor world-renowned hotels like the Mandarin Oriental and Shangri La; where religious wats and temples dot the city landscape in a country where Buddhism predominates...and tuk tuk drivers unabashadly solicit their foreign passengers to "saunas" and "massage parlors"...lucrative toursit draws. Bangkok...in all its ironic glory!

Diary Entry just before embarking on my Foray to SE Asia

12/26/05 - The highlight of X-mas day for me was being able to reflect on all my blessings. I spent the good part of the day driving to the north shore and taking it all in...the majestic Waianae range always manages to take my breath away...and that drive "over the hill" - that moment where you flirt with a view of the multi-hued azure blue Pacific Ocean...the pineapple fields and coffee trees in the foreground...at that moment, I slip into a landscape of emotions. I say a prayer of gratitude. THIS is my home...this is where my MANA rests...and I am reminded that no matter where my physical being descends, my spirit and my soul are solidly planted here in the islands. I perch myself on a boulder over the beach. The seaspray carried by a gentle breeze caresses my face, the surf dances hula, the waves chant an oli, and I play hide and seek with a mama honu and her baby. I contemplate my upcoming journey. What will I learn? How will I experience it? Who will I meet? I'm overwhelmed with excitement!

******

Touched base with the folks, gloated to friends, paid bills, cleaned out the email box, turned the "vacation signs" over on the eBay stores, Echinecea tablets and Airborne pills packed, passport and paperwork in order...WAAAAAHHHHHH...the trip I've been dreaming about starts in several hours when I embark on the plane!...Can't keep the butterflies down...Few last things...bring the courage, don't leave the independence behind, a little sense of wonder and awe would be good, you could never pack enough common sense-so pack some extra...and don't forget, have a great time!!!