Meditation Retreat

This past week my school, along with fifteen teachers and myself, took a field trip to a Buddhist temple and meditation center about an hour from our town. The temple is up away from the highway a little ways and in the middle of a nice forest with mountains in the background. The weather was beautiful and cool with a constant breeze blowing through. We spent three days and two nights at the center and slept in a dormitory building on straw mats with little square pillows. Traditionally, many monks here in Thailand will only eat a morning meal and then abstain from food until the following day. The students, teachers and I ate morning and lunch meals and then didn't eat until the following morning. The first night of not eating was definitely a challenge as I don't think I have ever in my life gone without eating when I was hungry. It's a funny thing to write, and it makes me realize just how lucky I am that I can even say that. That I have a chose to eat when I'm hungry or abstain from food that is sitting in front of me.

After an initial few hours of discomfort, I really felt normal. By the following morning I felt really light and clear and eating breakfast was enjoyable, but I was less hungry than usual. The center serves only vegetarian food as it follows the traditional teachings that people should not kill anything living. I know some of you may think, "Well, what about plants. They're living too." At the moment I can't remember what the Buddhist text says about this, but they have a reason. Of course. It seems that all religions usually have a reason to justify something.

We all woke at 4 a.m. each morning to go down to the temple to pray and meditate. I'm not sure why, but I was really awake each morning and found the meditation to be pleasant. Breakfast was served around 8 a.m. and lunch at noon. Between these times there were various presentations for the students about the history of Buddhism, being a good person, son/daughter and student and other various lectures pertaining to morals and religion. We also had the chance each day to participate in walking meditation, where we would take off our shoes and walk in long lines, silently, following three leading monks. This, I almost liked better than sitting meditation, but as the head monk was telling me, it's important to have a combination of the two. That makes sense to me. Here are some pictures from our time there.

No school bus, no problem. The vehicle we drove to transport students. Lawsuit?

Safety third.

In ya go.

This was one of a long row of little houses where the nuns and monks stay. It was one person to a house with the men and ladies divided on the grounds. The nuns also shave their heads and wear white robes instead of orange like the men.

Students listening to the abbot of the monk give a lecture. This monk also has a temple in Chicago where he teaches about meditation and Buddhism. He said mostly Thai and Lao people visit, but he also gets others interested in learning.

Organizing ourselves before going out on a walking meditation session.

I had the chance to sit and talk with this man one night and it turns out he attended high school in Nashville, Tennessee and worked in New York City for a number of years. He was a very nice man and is interested in having me back out to the temple to discuss religion a bit more.

Walking meditation.

Practicing bowing before starting prayer. If I've figured it out right, most of the times before you start a prayer session, you bow three times and your head touches the floor.

Our walking meditation leaders.

Sign for visitors.

Teachers having a good time while the students sit inside :)

A group of teachers from my school.

The word "wat" means temple and Santinanachat is the name of the temple. It means, I think, temple of many nationalities.

A monk sporting a digital camera taking pictures in order to do a video for the students.

Last night closing ceremony. We each had a candle and a leaf from the Bodhi tree, which is supposedly the tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment. The principle of our school lit his candle first and then proceeded to light my candle and I lit the next person's and so on and so forth. The leaf was used to catch the wax from dripping.

Frame the face.

Putting candles in the sand pit at the front as the ceremony was closing.

Dinner at P-Dang's house with Rachel, Bree and fellow PCV Bush Poothorn. Rachel got a chance to learn how to cook from my friend P-At.

A Queen musical and all-you-can-eat-conveyor-belt-sushi.......SWEEEEEET!

This guy's name is Toothpicks. At least I call him Toothpicks because every time I turned around he was trying to show me some new puzzle, trick using toothpicks.

Rachel, Bree and I's awesome rafting trip up north near a two called Pai. We went with a group of 15 American, high schoolers who were here on an exchange program.

Scavenger hunt.

Man, I was so comfortable accept for my feet that you can't see sticking out into the middle of the aisle. People basically just kept pushing me out of the way every time they walked by.

Brown baggin' it in the hotel!

I think I have the cutest dog in all of Thailand right next door. He comes over pretty much everyday to hang out and do.............

THIS! Right in my doorstep. It's hilarious! He knows he's not supposed to come in, but lately he's been getting a little brave and inching his way into my house.

A beautiful set of seven waterfalls called Erawan Falls in the central region of Thailand.

Thai Ronald giving a little 'wai' to all the people.

On a field trip to a huge meditation retreat with our school. Here are some of the teachers I went with.

P-Uon, my landlord and a teacher at my school, practicing a little meditation during the day.

A couple of monks who were helping with organizing the event.

P-Renu gearing up for a little karaoke.

Our project group at our Mid-Service Conference this past May.

As time rolls on...

You know, I feel like it's been forever since I wrote anything on my blog much less posted new pictures. I suppose that could be taken as a good sign that I'm doing really well, happy and don't have that much time to do updates. For the most part, that is pretty true. As I've entered into my second year of my service as a Peace Corps volunteer here in Thailand, I can't help but feel more comfortable, both in my work and my community. The language barrier that was at the beginning such a monumental task has become less and less restricting. I'm able to enter most situations and feel comfortable speaking Thai with the people around me. At work, I've gotten into the routine of a Thai school year and all the various surprises that might come with it. I've made good friends here in my town and just hope these next eight months before I return to the U. S. don't fly by too quickly.

I'll share one really interesting story that happened to me about a month and a half ago. I thought at one point that I had seen most of what Thailand had to offer, but it never ceases to surprise me what you might find on any given day. I was riding my bike home from school one day in May when, as usual, I passed by the local store on my street. I stopped and chatted for a bit as I try to do everyday. They are a great family and always welcoming and interested in what's going on in my life. There are three sisters that live within this compound of three houses, and the youngest sister, Jarune, owns the shop at front. She's a lively woman, and a natural leader. Even last year when I only understood a little of what was being talked about I could tell this lady had it together. She is the only member of her family that has traveled abroad, and she seems at ease in almost any situation. This particular day as I hopped off my bike and strolled up to the little garage where everyone hangs out, I noticed that Jarune sprawled out on the hammock towards the back. Her hand to her head, a weary look on her face. I could just feel her headache by looking at her. I felt tired just seeing her laid out like that. I asked her what was up and she said she'd been to the local doctor and the city doctor and no one can figure it out. She had been unable to sleep for more than a week. Terrible headaches. Low energy. What was she going to do, I asked. She and her family decided that the ailment must be related to her spirit, and obviously there was another spirit in her that was causing these symptoms. It was a spirit of a man that lived long ago. Not someone related to her, but someone that sought her out for no apparent reason. And this spirit was hungry for chicken. And whiskey. And likes boats. Banana boats. I'm not even trying to joke.

This information about the spirit came from the local witch doctor in our village who has made somewhat of a career of exorcising spirits from ailing villagers before or after they've gone for other medical help. The witch doctor did the consultation and requested Jarune to return the following night for the ritual. Fortunately, the day I stopped and asked her what was the matter was the same day they were going to the exorcism. They invited me along and I quickly accepted. After all, this was something I've never seen in my life. Not more than an hour later, myself, Jarune and nearly the entirety of her family are cruising across town. We pulled into a dusty, little street and parked next to a tin shack with trash strewn about the side and back. A short walk brought us to a little wooden, sitting hut that are common all across Thailand. It's where people come to sit and socialize. A crowd of older woman are already gathered gossiping and preparing the materials needed. In our case, a boat was being fashioned out of banana leaves, a chicken had already been roasted, head and all, and the whiskey was purchased by yours truly before we arrived. 100% rice whiskey. The stuff is awful.

A string was tied around Jarune and then placed between the hands of the witch doctor. She began by praying and talking. The way I understood it, she was basically talking with the spirit, asking it why it had come. Why wasn't it satisfied with it's existence. It should accept these gifts brought by Jarune and her family and then go on. Go rest in peace. Not only was the witch doctor speaking, but at any giving point, the whole of Jarune's family was talking to this spirit. Gently persuading it to go away from here and take the chicken with it. As the talking was going on, whiskey was being poured, slowly and carefully into the beak of the roasted chicken. Not dumping it on its head. Making the dead chicken drink, in little beakfuls, the whiskey. Just like you'd carefully give a baby it's food. Making sure not to spill any of it.

The speaking began to escalate at one point and everyone joined in, even me. Everybody was doing an eerie call of some sort. A call, they explained would help take the spirit away. Kind of a "yeeeeehooooooo!!!" I couldn't help but turn my head and snicker at points. Even some of the younger kids found it hysterical. We eventually ceased this calling and managed to capture the spirit in a boiled egg that was cradled by the witch doctor and then handed to Jarune. Jarune proceeded to cradle it also before she cracked it open and handed everyone a small piece.

"This," she said, "you must eat in three bites. No more, no less." So, one, two, three. I'm not sure how I feel about boiled spirit eggs, but it wasn't bad. That spirit could have used a little salt, I suppose.

Finished, we all strolled back and Jarune decided she felt like a weight had lifted off her shoulders. She knew whatever it was that had ailed her was passing already. I can't say it wasn't just her immune system finally kicking in, or her mind willing it to be over, but maybe there was a different kind of energy that required everything I saw. Either way, I learned that boiled eggs don't just come around on Easter.

Snowboarding in Japan!

My friend Garrett heading off-piste down some great powder. The area we were in is known as the Japanese Alps, and there are some towering mountains behind the ski area. It was really beautiful.

Hot sake outside a Japanese convenience store. It was freezing so this was just the remedy for a cold night.

Looking down a run at the town of Hakuba.

I found this guy back at my house after returning from Japan. He seems to think this is his house because he keeps coming back to the same spot in my kitchen. He's bigger than my hand!

Area in Tokyo similar to Times Square. Being in Tokyo at first I wondered where all the people were for a city of 20+ million, but after coming here I realized that about 3 million of them were in the area of a few city blocks!

Al-Qaeda in Japan? Close - Gabe.

Getting ready to hit the slopes!

Nice boots!

The line to the gondola.

The boys outside a Japanese pagoda.

This statue you were supposed to rub the elbow and head for good luck.

This is a luck game where you pull out a numbered chopstick and then find the corresponding drawer on a huge wall of cabinets. Inside your numbered drawer will be your fortune. Whether good or bad you tie it up around these little strings here.

People come here to breath in the incense to "cleanse" the soul or mind.

Cool-looking tree outside the temple.

A little two-seater taxi that is pulled by a man wearing Ninja Turtle shoes...sweet.

Outside the front gate of a major temple in Tokyo.

After entering the front gate there is a long corridor full of shops before entering the main temple grounds. This day it was packed with people.

A buddy that went on the trip thought he was buying tea but ended up getting hot sake.

A little side street of of the main road leading to the temples.

Three PCV friends and I recently took a short trip to Japan to do some skiing/snowboarding, and we had an amazing time. We spent one day in Tokyo and the other four in Nagano Prefecture in a town called Hakuba. The mountain we rode was Happo One, which was the site of the 98' Winter Olympics. We found a really great Japanese package deal with the help of a friend in Tokyo, so we were put up in a hotel with traditional Japanese sleeping mats and a bath house. We also spent each breakfast and dinner eating Japanese style in a small cafeteria in the hotel. It snowed four out of the five days we were there so there was soooo much powder. There were parts on the mountain where the powder came all the way up to my thighs. I found the snow in Japan to be a bit wetter and heavier than I'm used to from Colorado, which made it somewhat hard to make turns. But, after you got used to it, it was some of the best snow I've ever been in.

The other pictures are from a temple we visited while in Tokyo. It was a big temple complex with four or five large buildings. The day we were there a ton of people had come to pray and make offerings. Also while in Tokyo we went to the "times square" area, ate some awesome sushi and took a boat ride along the main river in the city.