Welcome to The Traveling Hmapa

Living a life without borders.

Round Two, Sak Yant Tattoo with Ajarn Sak (Bangkok Ink)

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 …

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Three Temples, Three Spiritual Truths

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 …

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Battle Pathum Thani-Rangsit Open Air Weekend Market Seafood Stand is officially over – I win!

I confidently declare to the world that I have won the war that 2.5 months prior, I affectionately named: The Pathum Thani-Rangsit Night Open Air Weekend Market Seafood Stand Battle. Every Thursday to Sunday night there is a weekend open air market that springs up in the parking lot of a strip mall near my …

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I blame my behavior on Dead Poets Society

I just added a Media Gallery link at the top of the page that has a large collection of photographs all in one place from my time in Thailand. Enjoy. A long lost (well maybe not exactly lost, knowing him he was probably waiting for me) good friend of my mine kindly and gently informed …

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Searching for the Naga within

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 …

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Cabbages & Condoms with a hint of Black Amber

I went back to work on Thursday… Actually, I didn’t go “back to work” because teaching is not work to me. From now on, I’m going to reclassify the term “work” when referring to teaching in a new context. I am going to phrase teaching as a “passionate pursuit of the noble good”. Let’s try …

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Holiday (Day 5) — Ghost Condo

I decided to stay in Bangkok one more night for the express purpose of trying to climb the 49-story Ghost Condominium located approximately one block from the Saphan Thaksin BTS station. I had seen it the prior day jutting through the city skyline and read some online articles about it but I couldn’t decide if …

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Holiday (Day 4) — FREE Bangkok Canal Shuttle

Overcoming challenges big and small, trivial and overwhelming are reasons why I love traveling. Each time I step around, climb over or push through one of these obstacles; I gain a sense of accomplishment and celebrate a new found ability that I never knew existed. For me, Bangkok has provided numerous opportunities to test my …

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Holiday (Day 3 Nightlife) — Saxophone Jazz Pub

Day 3 of my holiday whipsaw didn’t end like I had planned. I took a short nap during the taxi ride home from Ayutthaya and awakened with a sense of purpose. I dove into my next adventure with added vigor leading me to the conviction that I needed a night of food and fun. The …

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