Welcome to Paradise

 

This was my 1st time going for a full-out swim in the Ocean...ever! That shit is salty! The Andamans coastal waters were warm, and beautiful blues and greens. It felt so good to break that fear, and it was soooo much fun<3 ..I love Krabi!!

AO NANG BEACH: Breakfast.. Pina Coladas.. Same Same!

Exploring KRABI on Motorbike

Does anyone know what kind of fruit this is??

Teaching English Abroad: Northern Thailand

Music: Closer to Fine by The Indigo Girls

Vounteering on a Thai Farm: Projects!

Cook! Using all fresh and organic and even wild plants! Our staple ingredients are things like ginger, chilies, soy sauce, mustard flowers, wild sweet potatoes, papaya, and mizuna!



My partners in crime and me in the kitchen- 
Cookin up a meal for up to 20 people at time!

Build!
Waterproofing the roof.

Making finishing touches.

Making more mud bricks!

Gardening; Planting, Fertilizing, Weeding, Harvesting

Volunteering on a Thai Farm: Breakfast & The 5 Contemplations

When I was in Canada looking for an opportunity to do something meaningful in Thailand, I naturally started to pursue agriculturally-driven projects. But I didn't want to go to just any farm- I wanted to learn as much as possible- about farming, meditation, how to build a mud-house. I had a bucket-list going on. I started looking for farming opportunities where I could build a mudhouse, and within a community living in a meditation sangha-style.

Eventually, when I found this farm, which is organic and is a place of meditation. I wrote an email immediately and received a response within a few days telling me that there was an opportunity to learn about earthen building and the offer was there. They said to come out to and work on the farm in exchange for learning about building earthern homes, meditation, and Thai cooking, so I did. Something I really like is that each morning the volunteers and the farmer all gather outside after walking meditation, for a modest but fulfilling breakfast, sitting at a few makeshift tables among the bales of straw and bamboo. He reads "The Five Contemplations" every morning before eating. 

1.This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings and much hard work.
2. May we eat with mindfulness & gratitude so as to be worthy to receive it.
3. May we encourage & transform our unwholesome mental formations,especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation.
4. May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that we reduce the suffering of living beings, preserve our planet & reverse the process of global warming.
5. We accept this food, so that we may nurture our sisterhood & brotherhood, strengthen our sangha and nourish our ideal of serving all beings.

Pumpkin Soup

Our Thai Porridge; Rice with coconut milk,
 honey, banana and papaya

 ISNT THAT YOD YIAM?!
                           (awesome)

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

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