Does anyone know what kind of fruit this is??
Meet the Mangosteen!
I had never tried one of these before coming to Thailand.
The fleshy white "tangerine-look-alike" may look strange, but it tastes great!
Maki Holds Fruit Hostage
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For those of you who love Vegetarian Maki..
Check out this AMAZING roll made with fruit!
Here we have some papaya, banana, advocado, lettuce, beet root, ginger,
seaweed, and a drizzle of honey wrapped in Nori with some inverted
sticky rice and sesame seeds! This mixture was sweet, but delicious,
I highly recommend it!
Want to try making your own? Watch this video:
*Happy Maki Making!
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13 Steps of Creation
Before leaving one of the meditation farms in Thailand, I met a young girl named Veronika from Russia. She was talking with me about the Mayan Calendar, which she follows very closely and looks to for guidance.
Naturally, being very curious about it all, I was busy asking her all sorts of questions about how to read and understand the different symbols of the Mayans. Among many others things, we eventually turned our attention to what the Mayans regard as the " 13 Steps of Creation". I found the layout of steps very similar to something I would try to use when "creating". I think that with, or without the belief of the Mayan Calendar these 13 Steps of Creation can help anyone follow through with virtually any goal:
1.Aim
2.Accept Challenge
3.Serve
4.Forming Shape
5.Shining
6.Equality (dont forget about what others want too)
7.Resonance
8.Oneness
9.Intention
10.Manifestation
11.Freedom/Liberation
12.Cooperation (all energies are united)
13.Presence (to "just be")
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| Based on my birthday my symbol is the White Dog. |
1.Aim
2.Accept Challenge
3.Serve
4.Forming Shape
5.Shining
6.Equality (dont forget about what others want too)
7.Resonance
8.Oneness
9.Intention
10.Manifestation
11.Freedom/Liberation
12.Cooperation (all energies are united)
13.Presence (to "just be")
The Experience of Insight
While farming in Thailand I had many opportunities to learn about meditation from many practiced-meditators and teachers, and was even able to work on a few farms where meditation was a part of the daily structure. I found the experience extremely eye-opening, humbling, and even spiritual. While living on one particular "Meditation Farm", I had some time to read a book during one of our mid-day Siestas. I chose "The Experience of Insight", by Joseph Goldstein.
The following is a short excerpt from the book that I enjoyed because it reminded me of the purpose and the destiny of the human life (death), and how we take advantage of life so often, just to find that time has slipped by. Living in the awareness of the presence of death could be viewed morbid, but it actually allows us to live in the moment mindfully. It teaches us to be grateful for each moment, and to live humbly, in harmonious meaning:
"Often in forgetfulness of our destiny, we become over-involved in collecting things, in attachments and possessions, in wanting to become someone special. We get involved in many of the activities of the LITTLE MIND, taking our ambitions, our desires, ourselves very seriously. We lost the perspective of BIG MIND, we lose the perspective of death."
"Often in forgetfulness of our destiny, we become over-involved in collecting things, in attachments and possessions, in wanting to become someone special. We get involved in many of the activities of the LITTLE MIND, taking our ambitions, our desires, ourselves very seriously. We lost the perspective of BIG MIND, we lose the perspective of death."
You Can Lend A Helping Hand
Dedicated to all the volunteers I worked with this spring.
Great work everybody! Happy travels to you all XO
Everybody Seems To Be Moving In One Direction
Along my travels, I met some guys from France,
they told me about this DJ, Wax Tailor.
I couldnt get this song out of my head for the longest time.
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!
Build!
Waterproofing the roof.
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| My partners in crime and me in the kitchen- Cookin up a meal for up to 20 people at time!   |
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.
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| Pumpkin Soup |
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| Our Thai Porridge; Rice with coconut milk, honey, banana and papaya |
ISNT THAT YOD YIAM?!
(awesome)
This is Pang Term, Thailand
frommynotebook;
"I look at the travel alarm clock and see that it is Thursday.
It is 3:58 p.m, the temperature is 30.5 degrees Celcius.
I am laying in my tent, under a large jungle hut made of clay and straw.
The roof is made from bamboo and large dried leaves.
A large red and black ant crawls across my screen door.
Beyond it I can see a mountain, and beyond that only a
forest of tropical greenery. Out the door of the tent,
and a few steps away is a path lined with well-spaced mudhuts.
The path leads down to the meditation platform overlooking the valley.
A few steps later are the squat toilets, then the outdoor
kitchen and dining area, and then the farm fields, which stretch down
towards the river. This is where I am organically farming.
After you cross this river you will find the small village of Pang Term.~
I look up. I see the leaf roof that towers above me- it has seen better days.
The clear blazing blue sky is peaking through,
but I am mostly sheltered in the shade.
I am listening to Silver Jet by The Tragically Hip.
It is pulsing from my laptop, which I have used today for the first time in
awhile, since there is little to no internet access here.
A laptop sometimes feels like an old friend here.
It can bring all sorts of comforting luxuries, like music,
or reminders of home but its deemed quite useless here most of the time
in the rural mountains of Thailand. Still I am grateful to have it now
so that I canlisten to Canadian music- its been so long!~
From time to time I hear thrashing in the forest,
and sometimes mysterious footstep sounds. I hear it now.
I try not to think about it too much, I will admit I am nervous
to think about what this creature could be. Ignorance is bliss.
I also hear an array of birds which I am beginning to recognize since
they have replaced my conventional wake-up alarm.
One of the birds sounds like it is constantly saying "Pa-pa, Pa-pa".~
I feel the warm wind shift , flowing over my tent
and causing my misquito net to ripple in the breeze.
I feel at home here.~
I smell only nature around me and the Thai short-bread
that I am eating. A new volunteer has brought some from
the nearest village, Samoeng.~
I taste sweetness and black sesame seeds! Yum..
Now some cool ginger water to wash it all down.
This is Pang Term, Thailand. "
"I look at the travel alarm clock and see that it is Thursday.
It is 3:58 p.m, the temperature is 30.5 degrees Celcius.
I am laying in my tent, under a large jungle hut made of clay and straw.
The roof is made from bamboo and large dried leaves.
A large red and black ant crawls across my screen door.
Beyond it I can see a mountain, and beyond that only a
forest of tropical greenery. Out the door of the tent,
and a few steps away is a path lined with well-spaced mudhuts.
The path leads down to the meditation platform overlooking the valley.
A few steps later are the squat toilets, then the outdoor
kitchen and dining area, and then the farm fields, which stretch down
towards the river. This is where I am organically farming.
After you cross this river you will find the small village of Pang Term.~
I look up. I see the leaf roof that towers above me- it has seen better days.
The clear blazing blue sky is peaking through,
but I am mostly sheltered in the shade.
I am listening to Silver Jet by The Tragically Hip.
It is pulsing from my laptop, which I have used today for the first time in
awhile, since there is little to no internet access here.
A laptop sometimes feels like an old friend here.
It can bring all sorts of comforting luxuries, like music,
or reminders of home but its deemed quite useless here most of the time
in the rural mountains of Thailand. Still I am grateful to have it now
so that I canlisten to Canadian music- its been so long!~
From time to time I hear thrashing in the forest,
and sometimes mysterious footstep sounds. I hear it now.
I try not to think about it too much, I will admit I am nervous
to think about what this creature could be. Ignorance is bliss.
I also hear an array of birds which I am beginning to recognize since
they have replaced my conventional wake-up alarm.
One of the birds sounds like it is constantly saying "Pa-pa, Pa-pa".~
I feel the warm wind shift , flowing over my tent
and causing my misquito net to ripple in the breeze.
I feel at home here.~
I smell only nature around me and the Thai short-bread
that I am eating. A new volunteer has brought some from
the nearest village, Samoeng.~
I taste sweetness and black sesame seeds! Yum..
Now some cool ginger water to wash it all down.
This is Pang Term, Thailand. "
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