Meds or Reds

“It’s a rainy night in Georgia” Ugh, ‘cuse me, I mean Bangkok. When the mind gets tight, the meditation helps put everything in perspective. It allows you to separate mind and body sometimes and other times bring it all into sync. The rain becomes something that happens and you just are not attached to how it makes you feel. Divorced from strong feelings you just see it symbolizes impermanence and the cycle of life. After a two hour meditation at a temple, I just floated down the river and back home just barely attached to the body I often call home. The reds came out in full force, while Ms. Cardboard Wai was still waiting for a ride.

Pure Rainbow

I traveled up the Chao Phraya river, while reading The Four Nobel Truths, written by a monk that I found in the free books pile in my lobby appearing new that day. It was actually great to read Dhamma written by a new person, and see what examples he used to make his points. It doesn’t matter how many times I read Buddha’s teachings, that I don't find several applications in my life. It was concise but not dry, reminding me to continue on the path. The journey took about a hour, because they did not have an express boat that day. My intent was to find the kids I took photos of and give them copies. This was the second trip I have made with this intention. I knew where their school was, and I walked by it going to the nearby Wat park to continue to photograph. Then around 4:30 I started to walk from the park through the small town deciding I would not ask the kids playing at the school if they know my photos subjects. As I walked down a narrow soi, out popped on of the kids, smiling and yelling, “Hey, Farang!” It was Ton pictured here, and quickly three more of my subjects came running out of their homes. Within minutes I gave all the copies away as it started to rain and I ran back to the river crossing ferry to catch my boat going back south. As I paid my fare, soaked by the warm rain this rainbow appeared. It was full and from my vantage point running to the port it looked like it encompassed the port terminal with a crowd waiting out the rain.

Rain Drops Will Soon be Falling on my Head

Let me show you easy it is to throw a net!










Our sponsor, the wisdom teachings of Buddha.

I walked to the park near Wat Chalerm Phrakiet callled Chalerm Kanchanapisek Park to read and explore. Then seeing a huge storm heading my way started to walk back but made it only to the Wat. Once it rains and you are stuck under shelter have nothing to do. It is funny how it makes you think about your life, what you like and dream for.... a little bit of introspection. Sure, I am thinking gay people like me can get married now in California, but without the federal laws being changed my partner and I will have to keep Thailand as our home instead of US.

Letting Things Flow

I traveled by boat up the Chao Phraya river to find a temple up just north of Nonthaburi last Friday. In the walk to the temple I ran into some boys who more than happy to pose for the camera, and I just showed them the results that set them off laughing. When I was done I continued to walk to the temple along elevated walkways because it was on the edge of the river. Three different boys came up behind me and offered me their bike to ride to the Wat Charlerm Phrakiet with their lead. We tried all three to find one that would take me and my long legs. We ride to the Wat and the park, and past their school all with them pointing out everything proudly. When we got to the Wat park, I bought them fish food, and one boy was happy to show off the fact that he could just grab the catfish right out the water. They were almost as big as he was, so when they flipped he could not hold on to it.


I took some more photos as the sun set, and of the boys. All with the idea I would return with copies to give them, after they asked me when I was going to come back. I went back on Monday, while they were at school so while waiting I saw a vendor in the park who made cool drawings with two colors of pancake batter and had him make a couple to give to small kids waiting with their parents for their siblings to get out of school. This vendor would ‘draw’ with chocolate batter and then let it cook, and then fill in with plain batter. I am always taken by an artist who works in whatever medium, and this one piece of art tasted great. Just before the dark clouds dumped the sky on us, I went into the temple to hear the monks start their evenings prayers.












Then I got stuck under
shelter waiting for the
rain to quiet down
missing the boys to
give them their photos,
so I have to return again.