Chinese Zither Music

The feelings that come when this music is played...ahhh! Its so phenomenal! Its just so beautiful what some people can do with this instrument. I had to share this!! Enjoy the next few minutes of Zither. :)

                                                                              

Challenging Myself to 10 days of Vipassana

Well, we did it! We travelled to Parsang, Lampoon, Thailand to take the 10-day Vipassana course! As I mentioned in one of my previous Goats Do Roam blogs,
 Self-transformation Through Self-observation, I expected it to be no walk in the park. I thought it would test my endurance of meditation and  silent living in general- and it did. It really, really, did! In fact I would go as far to say that it was definitely one of the most challenging things I have done in my life, no contest!

We took a bus from Chiang Mai to Lampoon and ended up in a town whose named I cant remember. I do however remember that the Meditiation Center was a 30 minute drive from where we were, in this town where finding a driver who spoke English was like finding a 2$ Canadian bill in Bangkok.

After struggling in broken English for 20 minutes with some Thai Song Teaw drivers, and enduring their laughter over us lost tourists who dont speak Thai, we were back on the road to our destination in a private Song Taew. At this point we were feeling privelaged that we DID find a ride at all, so we sat back and enjoyed the noon-hour drive through the dusty backside country of Thailand in the dry season. We finally found ourselves at Dhamma Simanta, where we would be living in silent meditation for the next 10 days.

We were enclosed by mountains on 3 sides, a lake on the other

 and there was nothing but silence all around.

The Dhamma Simanta Center in Parsang was among one of the newer centers.  It was much larger then I thought initially, and very clean, AND had Western toilets! I was impressed. It was divided into two sections, one side for men, one for women. Each side was in an "8" shape, with rooms all around the outside, each with their own balcony facing the mountains. Immediately upon arriving to the huge Center-complex we were separated into men and women. The course had officially begun. We were given our instructions.

 It went something like this:

-Noble Silence must be maintained until the 10th day. (This means no talking, no singing, no humming. You must be silent when around others and when alone There should be no form of communication between meditators, avoid eye contact, physical contact and body language with others- keep to yourself at all times.)

-Men and Women should remain segregated at all times.
-Smoking tobacco is not permitted.
-No cell phones, reading, writing, no radio, no camera etc.
-Dress modest.

-During the Vipassana course one must conscientiously follow the 5 Precepts:

1. Abstain from killing any being;
2. Abstain from taking what is not given;
3. Abstain from sexual misconduct;
4. Abstain from telling lies;
5. Abstain from all intoxicants.

The list went on and on. I had a slight feeling of "Oh shit, what have I gotten myself into? I want to do what I want, when I want, and noone can get in my way. Except now Im trapped. I need to devise an escape plan!! "

As I was having these thoughts, we were being given our daily time-table which we were expected to follow routinely for the next week and a half. The teacher, Goenka, a former student of Vipassana, recommends to follow this schedule properly for the best results. In order to give the technique a fair trial we were asked to do our best, waking up with the roosters before dawn cracked over the horizon! I thought this was only fair since we did come such a long way to give it a try, so I decided I would cooperatively follow through.

Here is a look at what we did for the first 9 days!

4:00 am		Wake-up bell
4:30-6:30 am		Meditate in the hall or in your room
6:30-8:00 am		Breakfast
8:00-9:00 am		Group meditation in the hall
9:00-11:00 am		Meditate in the hall or in your room according to the teacher's instructions
11:00-12:00		Lunch break
12:00-1:00 pm		Rest/ or question hour to the teacher (This is the only time you are permitted to talk)
1:00-2:30 pm		Meditate in the hall or in your room
2:30-3:30 pm		Group meditation in the hall
3:30-5:00 pm		Meditate in the hall or in your own room according to the teacher's instructions
5:00-6:00 pm		Tea break
6:00-7:00 pm		Group meditation in the hall
7:00-8:15 pm		Teacher's Discussion in the hall
8:15-9:00 pm		Group meditation in the hall
9:00-9:30 pm		Question time in the hall or rest
9:30 pm		Retire to your own room--Lights out   .

So how well do you think we did? How do you think you would do?
 Would you ever try this course? Do you know anyone else who has?
 *More info on our experience coming soon. Thanks for reading!

A Forgotten Post: Self-Transformation Through Self-Observation

This is a post I forgot to post! I wrote it before arriving in Thailand, and figure I should post it because now I HAVE UPDATES! Well, here it is:

I have been accepted to the 10- day

Vipassana Meditation Course in Thailand!

It is one of my goals while on this Thailand trip to further explore myself, my limits, and also meditation. It could be said that I am on some kind of a "spirit quest". After much research and deliberation I decided my interest was in the Vipassana Technique. I did some course- comparing, and applied to the course that best suited me. I wanted something that was not religiously affiliated, and in a safe area of Thailand. I liked the details and location of this course, and the best part: the course is free.This includes your accommodation AND food (vegetarian of course) for 10 days.

All courses are run solely on donations made by graduates of the Vipassana courses. After you have completed the entire course( and ONLY after) the temple will accept a donation from you to fund a newcomers 10 days. I thought this "pay-it-forward" kinda temple suited me just fine.

 filled out a few-page questionaire where you are asked about your experience with meditation, your medical history, if you have any addictions etc. It was pretty simple and I finished it within 15 minutes. Within a few days I received an acceptance letter via e-mail with details on directions to the temple, what to wear, the code of discipline etc.   

The Global Vipassana Pagoda

You eat what the center gives you, you are not permitted to leaves the center's grounds, you must follow the code of discipline and Noble Silence, you have limited sleep and you must meditate for most of the day. But the teachers there are impressive, and I am so intrigued by their knowledge and way of life! The chance to learn about meditation and live in Noble Silence while in Thailand is a chance that comes once in a lifetime--so why not? I am so pumped for this experience but after reading the information provided by the center, I am sure of one thing only. This experience will not be easy. It will be no week at a resort, thats for sure, but I know I will challenge myself, and that I will learn a lot. Thats whats important!

An Ancient Meditation Technique Rediscovered: Vipassana

What is Vipassana?

The Vipassana Technique

"Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago and was taught by him as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an Art Of Living.

This non-sectarian technique aims for the total eradication of mental impurities and the resultant highest happiness of full liberation. Healing, not merely the curing of diseases, but the essential healing of human suffering, is its purpose. Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. "
 Read more of this article @: dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml

The Tradition

"Since the time of Buddha, Vipassana has been handed down, to the present day, by an unbroken chain of teachers. Although Indian by descent, the current teacher in this chain, Mr. S.N. Goenka, was born and raised in Burma (Myanmar). While living there he had the good fortune to learn Vipassana from his teacher, Sayagyi U Ba Khin who was at the time a high Government official. After receiving training from his teacher for fourteen years, Mr. Goenka settled in India and began teaching Vipassana in 1969. Since then he has taught tens of thousands of people of all races and all religions in both the East and West. In 1982 he began to appoint assistant teachers to help him meet the growing demand for Vipassana courses." -From dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml

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If you would like to learn more about this ancient technique of meditation, watch this video. Enjoy!
http://video.server.dhamma.org/video/intro/vintro.htm

Follow Me to the THC Rooftop Bar



A great patio overlooking the East Gate of the ancient Chiang Mai City!

The Color of This Pen Is

Still one of my favourite movies! Enjoy!

Developing Thailand: Super-Mall Suburbia Vs. Rural Markets

Which Do You Prefer?

 

In my opinion, some things are better left simple!
                I kinda enjoy buying 3$ pairs of jeans off the back of a truck bed!

Days of Pandan-Custard

Its the dry season in Thailand. You decide to head North.
You wake in your teak hut, to the merciless call of tropical birds and rising humidity, as the sun peaks over the new day. You decide to get moving before it is too hot. You pack your backpack, condensing your luggage as much as humanly possible, then ask your guesthouse to call you a tuk-tuk to drive you to the train station.

When the tuk-tuk arrives, you banter back and forth with the Thai driver, to haggle a price in broken English and small Thai words you know, adding in the request to stop at the 7-11 for some "shopping" before you get dropped off. This is a typical morning of a back-packer in Thailand.

What kind of snacks can you expect to see at that 7-Eleven?


Why, Pandan custard-filled hamburger buns... little koala bears filled with chocolate creme.... and ofcourse, your average Collagen fruit drink!

More yummy eats, Thai-style, the Asian version of Jolly Rancher Chews, 
 an energy drink called Emonergy, and Singha Soda Water

Tasty Eats Thai-Style!

Isnt it true that we eat with our eyes? Set your sights on some of my tasty Thai favourites, ..and some of my not so favourites, but more like interesting things to give a try now and then! Theres a first time for everything.

Purple rice served with roasted coconut, pumpkin seeds,
hot chilies,winged beans, peanuts, shallots, green beans,
lime and some others I cant name!

Some real Pad-Thai with Glass noodles, bean sprouts,
peanuts, tofu, and lime, yum!!

Some medicinal herb leaves with Asian vegetables 

and nuts on top, served with roasted coconut and fish sauce

Banana flower salad, made with (yes! a banana flower),

 sprouts, tofu, peanuts, chilies, ginger,

cilantro and other herbs!

Left: Muslim curried potatoes and rice
 Middle: Spicy (and so delicious, its my fav!), Winged-bean salad,
Right: Deep fried tofu served with Sweet and Spicy sauce

You Cant Tame These Horses

The metaphor of wild horses has been around for ever. You hear books named after them, songs, most significantly Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones, and then you have the British band, Wild Horses formed "back in the day" by Thin Lizzy. Even Atmosphere, my favourite Minneapolis hip-hopper puts a spin on it! I think the idea of wild horses-well, there is just something about it that is so mystical. 

I love this modern twist by Atmosphere and wanted to share it with those who also like his stuff, or maybe have never heard of his music. <3 Here is Wild Wild Horses from his 2008 album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold .

Anything Goes: In the Streets of Chiang Mai

I guess this mini long-tailed boat (notice the wheels)  is acting as a cupboard
 for some of this restaurants supplies. Sometimes anything goes!

This will do for a ride

Believe it or not, but this bamboo is the
 scaffold of this construction site!

A Pomegranate tree growing
on the city sidewalk!
Can you believe it?

Moon Muang 6

A day in the life on Moon Muang Street, Soi 6!

I <3 Thailand!

A Night of Khantoke Dinner and Dance

       Kantoke Palace, Chiang Mai 

The Lanna people of Northern Thailand, have a particular dining style, (an ancient tradition really) called Khantoke. Khantoke is a dining style, where a round and low pedestal tray made of bamboo, rattan or wood is used to serve the food. It is tradition that the family or parties will sit cross-legged on the floor around the Khantoke tray. Several bowls of Lanna food are served on the tray with sticky rice, the number one staple of the Lanna.

The Lanna love sticky rice SO much, sometimes they joke that they lost the battle because the armies spent a lot of their time preparing and eating sticky rice!) The sticky rice is rolled into balls by each person and dipped into the food of their choice. Eating Khantoke means the food on the pedestal is shared by all and eaten slowly. Its a beautiful tradition!  In todays modern world Khantoke dinners are still very common in the home, at weddings, ordinations, celebrations, funerals and other ceremonies.

While in Chiang Mai we heard about The Kantoke Palace, a gorgeous place where you can learn more about the Lanna through food and dance. We heard that there was a Sword Dance, so we jumped on the opportunity to go. When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised- there was even more to see than we realized! Upon entering the gates of Kantoke Palace, we were greeted by beautiful young women exhibiting Lanna arts. One woman was carving intricate flowers from melons, another was playing an old Lanna instrument that reminded me of both a harp and xylophone.

  

Be sure to leave your shoes at the door!

The food was absolutely amazing! In the middle is the eggplant and hot chili dip, served with vegetables. Then we have a few curries, some sweet and crispy noodles, some deep-fried pumpkin crisps and deep-fried tofu. Lam mak! ( Very delicious)

                                                            

The dance ceremony was started with Lanna music played live, with the ancient Candle Dance following. Next was the Umbrella Dance among many others, and then finally the Sword Dance, which was traditionally used by the Lanna warrior before entering battle. It was believed to bring power and good luck to the warrior. (The Sword Dance needs a blog of it's own. Check back soon!) 

   

Thanks for reading!  If you'd like to visit the Kantoke Palace,

or learn more about Lanna tradition and dances, visit: KantokePalace.com

Muay Thai @ The Loi Kroh Stadium

 

Before I came to Thailand a good friend of mine started learning Muay Thai. She had me promise her that I would not leave Thailand without seeing a Thai boxing match! Muay Thai is extremely popular in Chiang Mai particularly, and it is common to see flyers for the upcoming match stapled all over town, in restaurants, and being hand-delivered to people on the streets by men on motorcycles.

 We decided to go to the Muay Thai stadium on Loi Kroh Road (a popular club area) to see two fights between Thais, and the headliner for the night, U.S.A vs. Thailand. As you might probably suspect, Thailand came out on top. Even though I usually dont like watching sports which revolve around violence (I just feel bad for them when they start to bleed!), I thought the matches were really entertaining because it IS a form of art, and an important part of Thai culture. It is not always necessarily about weight, size or strength, but more about technique. There are many years of training to become a professional Kick-boxer and apparently the boxers even get voluntarily beaten with heavy, rock-hard bamboo branches during training, the purpose of which is to kill the nerves in their legs and other body parts to prevent them from feeling pain during a match! Ouch.