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Finding well-being through travel and books. |
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Hello and welcome! I have two great passions in life. The first one is travel. After a series of life-changing events, my husband and I decided to spend the kids’ inheritance and see as much of the world as possible (I’m still bitter about Damascus). Our bible? A Thousand Places to See Before You Die. Please join us on our adventures seeing new places, meeting fascinating people and trying new, exciting, and sometimes just plain weird, food. My second great passion is books. Reading expands my interior world in the same way travel expands my external one. And, books are a great way to armchair travel - not only through distance but through time as well. My tastes are eclectic, so we’ll be looking at a wide range of writing in a possibly haphazard fashion. Come along for the ride! My best, Kirsten ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| We entered the Chi Lin Nunnery (left). “Confucius sought order and social harmony, he believed the answers to maintaining both lay in understanding the lessons of history, learning and study. He wasn’t at all big on introspection or trusting intuition. But study would help us to understand how the past affects the present and help us to plan for the future.” “Very left brain,” I said. She shook her head and corrected me. “Very yang. Learning – both knowledge and the proper way of doing things - is the way to develop one’s character, to become a cultivated person, an asset to society and to bind family ties and communities.” She pointed to the inscription under one of the, what I can only assume to be meditation, stones. (below) “There are many virtues discussed in Confucianism, but the most important is the virtue of ren, it’s more than just benevolence, it’s oh –“ She waved her hands in the air as if trying to shape her thoughts like dough. “It’s not only wanting to be the best you can be but to help others be the best they can be, too.” See the rest of the post and the photos here  . |
| “The Chinese view of the universe has influenced all of East Asia and possibly the rest of the world.” My guide turned and waved an arm to encompass Hong Kong and the greater world beyond it. We resumed trudging up the staircase leading up to the Temple of the 10,000 Buddhas. My husband had taken one look at the staircase, muttered ‘400 bloody steps’, and then bounded ahead, gazelle-like, leaving my guide and me in his dust. “The universe has rules and patterns with the most basic pattern being the interplay of forces between yin and yang.” I nodded. This was a common enough notion. “Within yin and yang are the Five Processes or Stages with certain attributes. We tend to think of them as fiery, watery, earthy, woody and metallic. These Stages go in cycles. When we understand the cycles, how each stage will either be in its ascendancy or decline, we understand the changeability of life because they affect everything – the human body, animals, nature, colors, and even music.” She checked to see if I was still following. I was. Picture “If we understand the pattern that is being formed between all these forces, we understand how the universe is working and why it is affecting us the way it is at any particular time. When these forces are out of balance we are out of balance.” Hm. Lately I’ve been feeling off-kilter. The universe seems to be conspiring to keep me tilted at about 45 degrees. Mostly at 3 a.m. when thoughts race around my brain like a demented squirrel. Read the rest and see the photos here |
| Nearly 95% of Thais are Buddhists of the Theravada school. Theravada (meaning ‘doctrine of the elders’) Buddhism sees itself as the most original, authentic preserver of the teachings of the historical Buddha. The other two major forms of Buddhism, Mahayana and Vajrayana, don’t reject the teachings of the Theravada school but instead build upon and expand them. One key difference between Theravada and Mahayana is that the Theravada school views the Buddha as a historical figure, a man, not a cosmic being. As I understand it (and please correct me if you know I'm wrong!), Buddhism isn't strictly a religion - its philosophy doesn't contain or promote a belief in an external God. Nor does it insist on replacing existing religious beliefs. Following the precepts of Buddhist philosophy is an add-on to whatever current belief system one has. Buddhism provides a profound way of viewing and coping with life events in order to increase our chances for happiness in this lifetime. In fact, many SE Asians adhere to several philosophies, rituals and practices depending on the life situation. A Buddhist temple is a place of contemplation and learning. Read the rest and see the photos here |
| The Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai is vast, located on the Chan Klan Road and stretching between Tha Pae and Sri Donchai (some three city blocks in all directions). While it’s famous for jewelry and portrait painting you can buy a wide variety of handicrafts (including lovely hand-woven silk pieces). The market was originally started by Chinese merchants but, over time, as the market expanded, more and more ethnicities became involved and the majority are now Thai. You won’t go hungry either. Food stalls abound, there’s a German restaurant and the ubiquitous McDonald’s. There are several British pubs and at least one Irish pub (more on that later). And, interspersed throughout are Fish Spas. This was the main reason I’d dragged my husband here, I was determined to try one. This is where my husband gets the Brilliant Husband of the Year Award. How many husbands would ride an elephant bareback when they detest heights (because their wife loved elephants), or get into a tiger’s cage with their clearly certifiable wife just to take her picture? And now he was about to plunge his tootsies into a tank of flesh eating fish. Read the rest here . |
| “Don’t put your face near the tiger’s, stay behind it,” we were instructed just before entering the tiger’s cage. My last thought, before the white noise of panic filled my brain was, “What if the tiger is putting its face near mine!” Sure, these tigers are hand reared from birth. Sure, they are used to people, need people to survive and thrive on affection. But, knowing that the fine beast was not drugged or tranquilized in any way, and faced with the business end of a tiger not three feet from my face, I devolved into a state of blithering incompetence. What the hell was I thinking! Read the rest here. |
| I have always wanted an elephant. But, with condo living as it is, it seemed a bit, well, impractical. So, I leapt at the opportunity to have my very own elephant for a day at the Patara Elephant Farm. Located within the beautiful Hang Dong Valley, and surrounded by mountains, the farm is a mere 30 minute drive south of Chaing Mai, Thailand. “The purpose of the farm is to Rescue, Rehabilitate and Reproduce,” said Pat Trungprkan at our orientation meeting. Pat and his family own the farm and run it entirely on the proceeds of the ‘Elephant Owner for a Day’ program. No donations are solicited or taken and there are no kitchy souvenir stands or food hawkers. All visitors are welcome, including children and the disabled, but limited to perhaps 16 per day. The rest (and videos) here . |
| “Well, who knew!?” I looked up at my husband as I prodded the wine list with a finger. “Thailand has a wine industry. Look, honey there’s a Monsoon Valley Shiraz. We like shiraz.” “There’s also a nice Chianti from Italy,” he countered, looking a little nervous. “But don’t you think … you know – when in Rome and all that?” I like to try local wines. I’m no expert but I do know what I like and so far I haven’t met a shiraz I didn’t like. We were at the China House restaurant. Located at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, it provided a superb meal of traditional Chinese dishes in a stunning environment with a red and black, art-deco interior. We had a private booth with carved and latticed wooden doors. The staff were friendly, attentive and provided excellent advice. "You've ordered too much food," our waiter cautioned us. He was perfectly correct, but who could resist such dishes as their signature hot and sour soup with huge chunks of lobster, or Peking duck with crispy, fragrant skin and meltingly tender meat? We didn't stop there, of course, we had to have the sautéed scallops and prawns with artfully arranged vegetables. All washed down with, tonight, Chianti. Sigh. But I wasn’t going to give up. Read the rest here |
| Apparently there is a concert every Saturday and Sunday morning, between eight and nine, in front of the Opera House. Today's concert was a selection of light popular songs played on traditional Vietnamese instruments. These included flutes, percussion instruments and the bamboo xylophone (or t'rung) of the E De people. Turning my back on the Opera House and panning right, I looked down Dong Khoi Street. This is a great place to find the usual designers (Louis Vuitton, Hermes, etc.) high-end handicrafts, silk clothing and a better class of souvenir. And the little video below is an excellent example of pedestrian etiquette in Saigon. The city is stuffed with millions of motorbikes and they don't stop for anyone. There are few crosswalks and even fewer streetlights. your only hope is to start out across the street, walk slowly and steadily and keep going! The motorbikes will maneuver around you. Keep an eye on the person pushing the pram. To see the video continue here |
| One of the things I like best about travelling is having the chance to try new food, so I was thrilled to have an opportunity to learn how to make a few Vietnamese dishes at Mai Home, The Saigon Culinary Art Centre. First, one of the chefs took us through a local food market to pick the ingredients we would need for the class and to identify to us others that are core to the Vietnamese diet. First and foremost comes rice. Rice is so closely tied to the heart of the culture it’s hard for any Vietnamese to imagine a meal without it. While it can come in many forms, we were dealing with three basic ones: the grain itself, grated rice noodles, and rice paper. Rice is eaten at every meal of the day. At lunch and dinner it is usually as the grain while at breakfast, Vietnamese will often have rice noodles in soup. Come and have a cooking class in Saigon. Read more here . |
| The wind whipped her hair around her face as the ferry plunged cross the Mekong Delta. The year was 1929, and fifteen year-old Marguerite Donnadieu (later known as Marguerite Duras) was heading back to boarding school in Saigon from her family home in the town of Sa Dec. It hadn’t been a happy visit. Mama, previously bankrupted by a poor land investment in Cambodia, was more cash strapped than ever and her moods, never predictable, had swung wildly between elation and sobbing despair. But still, she refused to leave Indochina and return to France. Marguerite pushed her hair back and shaded her eyes from the sun, sighing with profound relief to see Sa Dec receding behind her. Still, a coil of worry unfurled in her belly. It was clear that she was going to have to fend for herself, and soon. Her older brother, selfish, egotistical and thieving, certainly promised to be no help. Her younger brother was timid and shy. She chewed her lower lip, and scowled at the enormity of the task confronting her. See more here |
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