According to Hmong tradition, the married women in the local Hmong villages wear a silver band containing intricate etchings around their neck. The marriage band is worn outside of the clothing and is adorned with small chain links hanging down around their chest area. The Hmong males typically do not wear any jewelry; except for …
Continue reading "Interlude: The boy with the silver band (Sa Pa, Vietnam)"June 15, 2022 (Wednesday) To my surprise, I had no issues when I arrived in Hanoi International Airport. It might have been because it was 12:30 AM and/or we were the last plane arriving, but I was grateful for the smooth transition. Moving through the Visa processing line was simple and unobtrusive. I even received …
Continue reading "Hello Hanoi!"Istanbul contains within its borders sights and sounds that are frozen in time. The people have managed to capture the grandeur of their rich history. My time in Istanbul was short lived, but I managed to visit places like Topkapi Palace, the Column of Constantine, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, and the Hagia Sophia …
Continue reading "Top Destinations in Istanbul (Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar and more…)"The pulsating sting of change has been pricking that area where I normally seek solace and shut everyone out. But that is NOT my story. In one day, I left colleagues and friends who I grew to respect and love, students who showed me what it means to build honest-authentic student-teacher relationships, a culture that …
Continue reading "Sting of Change"The past week has been a joyous remembrance of new beginnings, a life worth living, experiencing a culture that I have dreamed about for decades, and finding my niche in this thing we call life. My sadness at the thought of leaving my 288 students was real and tangible as tears flowed without constraint during …
Continue reading "Round Two, Sak Yant Tattoo with Ajarn Sak (Bangkok Ink)"With my K+E Coffee mug filled to the brim with black gold sitting on the table to my right, my lap top computer fully charged in front of me and the Pathum Thani sunset waning in my peripheral vision; I popped my earbuds in, dialed up two renditions of “Foggy Dew” by the Blaggards and …
Continue reading "Three Temples, Three Spiritual Truths"After a rewarding week of crashing around Bangkok, I took some much needed rest on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. I spent time writing, napping, meditating, eating my favorite Thai chocolate wafer cookies, and as a result; I found the creative juices flowing stronger than ever. I am a firm believer everyone needs to …
Continue reading "Searching for the Naga within"Ayutthaya has been on my radar since arriving in Thailand. It is located approximately one hour north of Bangkok and is easily accessible by taxi, van, or train. The bulk of my history reading has been laser focused on learning more about understanding the how and why the ancient capital city fell in 1767 to …
Continue reading "Holiday (Day 3) — Ayutthaya, Thailand"Still reeling from the prior day’s adventures, I decided to see if I could push the boundaries even more. I rode the BTS/MRT to Hua Lamphong station and hopped on a Tuk Tuk to Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha). I walked through the temple absorbing the history and overwhelming presence of the reclining …
Continue reading "Holiday (Day 2) — Temples, Khao San Road & Free Muay Thai Fights!!"School let out for the pending Buddhist holiday on July 16th and 17th (Tuesday & Wednesday) and we were notified by our school that we also had Monday off. Bangkok seemed the likeliest destination to explore with its endless supply of temples (over 400), tantalizing food, night life, and markets. Day 1 I started my …
Continue reading "Five Day Holiday (Day 1) – Bangkok Temples & Food"