Wednesday, October 26, 2011

[Blogger's End]

When I started, this blog was to be about my travels during my year or so away. I am still away so to speak but no longer traveling. Sure, short trips away during school breaks but not the real gritty back packing stuff any more. Now I can afford air-condition rooms when I stay away for the weekend. :-)

So its ended. In the film "The Wizard of Oz" (from which the above picture comes from) the main character Dorothy is lost and goes on a long journey to find her way back home; only to wake up in her bed and realise she never actually left.

In some way, I can sense the poetry in this; everything has changed but really nothing has.

signing out...
Jean-Paul

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[Virtual Harmony]

This is truly amazing!



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[SongKram Festival - Chiang Mai, Thailand]

Like most festivals this one originated as a Buddhist ceremony. As part of the ceremony water is 'sprinkled' on the Buddha statue and probably in time over the participating monks.

It doesnt take alot of imagination to see how this ended up in a huge water fight..

Chiang Mai is known through out Thailand for celebrating Songkram to the max- for 3 days straight. Can you imagine a whole city playing a water fight... amazing, such a great community spirit too (lots of alcohol offcourse adds to the mirth.)

I also just discovered there is a video clip of myself playing Songkram last year in my street (Soi 7) on u-Tube. (I come in on the left, wearing a blue jacket with yellow stripes)

The full 5 min video can be see here.



Playing in my Street

Ae เอ๋

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[To MaeHongSong - North-West Thailand]

My friend's (Yaai) family live in the small city of MaehongSong, in the north west corner of Thailand. I drove her car there (6hrs) and back from Chiang Mai; a win win situation. She doesnt like driving the car through the mountains, and I dont get to drive much these days as I dont own a car. (They claim over 1600 corners between Chiang Mai and MaeHongSong, better on a motorcycle ofcourse..!)

We spent 4 days of luxury in a guesthouse owned by her cousins, who really took care of us splendidly. On the way home Yaai's 2 children came back with us (to spend their summer holidays with mum in Chiang Mai), but I felt sorry for them because they got car sick. (imagine all those corners; one was sick more than 5 times...)

This arrangement of children not living with their mum or parents is so typical in Thailand. Very often children grow up with their grand parent/s.

Yaai's former husband runs a boat service to the local Long Neck Village. It was quite fascinating to see, not so much to see the women who have these neck extensions but to visit such a rural place. The only transportation out there is by a shallow boat so the village is very much in nature (also very close to the Burmese Border) and the inhabitants traditionally earn a living off the land. Ofcourse these days in high season the tourists flood in.

I didnt understand why some women have a neck extension, which starts when they are a child. But not every woman can do it; for instance one must be born on a Thursday.

In all a nice time away in the country side.



On the Way


































The Guest House (Outside of Town)


































In MaeHongSong






































'Long Neck' Village

A senior citizen (80+)

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[Short Trips - North Thailand]


Chiang Dao (1hr North of Chiang Mai)


















Pai (again :)
















Cafe on the way





























Yaai(right) and Sister

Traditional Teak Wood

Harvesting Garlic

Bee Larvae. I didnt try...





















Doi Sutep (Next to Chiang Mai)













Heat = Pollution over Chiang Mai

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[Nothing Makes Sense Before Coffee...]

No doubt this article is supported in many financial ways by such companies like Nestle, Douwe Egberts, Starbucks and so on.

But I so do love my daily coffee and here is an article to make me feel good about it...



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[Its Hot Again - Chiang Mai]

University has finished up for the academic year and within one short week Summer arrived in full force. 

My room doesnt have Air-Co, so I am trying a more local climate control approach...














For Warm Nights - Version 1

Turbo Ice Cooler - Version 2

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[To Make you Smile]

A short 16 minute film that, if nothing else, will bring a smile to your face.




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