Showing posts with label thailand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thailand. Show all posts

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Mental Expansion

Anthony Bourdain once likened experiencing Asia to dropping acid. "Your mind expands," he said. He plans to move to Southeast Asia with his wife and daughter in the coming years. (Outside, 11/07) Now after having been there, I know a little bit more about what he means.

Bourdain talked about the color in the region. That was the first thing I noticed, too. Starting with the cabs outside the airport. Most of them are pink. Pink and green, pink and yellow, some yellow and green or green and red maybe. I don't know if Airblaster is doing their colorways, but it was quite the visual stimulation.

Then the mix of sights came closer to home. An Obama poster. A billboard for a Green Day show in Bangkok. Tidbits of globalization in an otherwise foreign land.

Without a doubt, though, this was not America. Distinct Thai flavor came through with every turn of the head.

You don't see architecture like this in Portland.

One Buddha head in the roots. Extra signficant because...

All the rest are decapitated (Wat Mahatat, Ayutthaya)

No idea what's going on in this traffic circle.

Another mythical animal (elephant dragon?) from the same circle.

Gold light posts and bad traffic; the streets of Ayutthaya.

Elephants amaze me. A friend volunteers at an elephant rehab center.
I got to play with a month-old baby and it was about the cutest thing ever.


The drippy light street. The lights form a triangle of rain every night, one street only.

And that was just the first three 'shake off the jetlag' days in Thailand. Part two: a week in Cambodia providing water to villagers and seeing the wondrous temples.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

How Can One Guy Have So Many Opportunities?

On the road again. This time by plane. Does that make sense? In the sky again? Anyway, I'm going to Thailand and Cambodia for a while to do some humanitarian work. Turns out my friend's brother-in-law has a charity that installs water wells for villages that have inadequate access to water. Inadequate in this case means they have to walk 10 miles every day to get water. Ponder that next time you're daydreaming under your hot shower. So no posts for a bit, then probably one picture-laden novella. Then I'll be snowboarding. Good stuff.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Back in the States

Chillin' on the beach in Tulum

A quick trip to sunny Mexico and I think I need an attitude adjustment. Something is fucked here. Bored is right, I could be doing so much more. Less time lost in my mind. Organization. Structure. That might be a refreshing change. Anyone want to give me an assignment? Talk to the guys I work for on a semi-regular and they'll tell you that if I've got a job in front of me I don't really sleep 'til it's done. Then when I have 'time off' I just sloth up. Underachieving. Moody. Perspective? How about a trip to Thailand and Cambodia to help install water wells for the less fortunate?

Temple of Kukulkan at Chichén Itzá

There's some perspective. At least I have clean water. I have a special booth in my place where it rains down on me for as long as I want. Drink as much as you want, it might as well be free. Piss in that bowl and push the lever, the damn thing just refills with more water. What a trip. Here my mind is always on powder. Well, time for a new outlook... Every day is now a powder day. See you in a few.