Happy New Year!

Here I am again with my jump shots to wish you all a great and happy 2015!

Shifen, Taiwan

Happy

Nakhon Nayok, Thailand

New

Petchabun, Thailand

Year!

Blessings of 2014

Let me capped the year with some of the most wonderful gifts I received or had encountered throughout 2014.

Birthday- Though I don't celebrate birthdays anymore, it was heart warming to be remembered by a dear friend named Jennifer to bring me some treats to share with my students that day. I also offered merit to a Buddhist temple and celebrated with a small surprised gathering by a friend and some of my acquaintances. The month of January was chilly and it was my fave month so far.

Tags- Though composing notes and blog posts seemed easy for me, the tag to put in writing things to be thankful for was a challenge. I wasn't able to write for five days and I ended having only three. It wasn't the blessings because there were a plenty but it was whom to tag that gave me a headache. I was also tagged to do the black and white challenge by Balut and it was equally draining but fun. I took the opportunity to open up my older files and post photos of which I tagged five people as well.

Work - The first half of the year was hard work since I had a lot of reports to write, projects and presentations to finish and the never ending drama in school. I switched to a younger class in August and this is a respite to the many requirements for pre kindergarten.

Friends - There were three sets of friends who came to visit. One was from Singapore, another from the Philippines and the last but aplenty, from Taiwan. I also met  some bloggers when I went back to Manila and I am sure that I lost some. A former university classmate for a year recognized me at Taipei airport and I couldn't even remember his face. Also, while inside a commuter train, an acquaintance saw me in Taipei. 

Travels- This is probably the only incentive I get from working so hard. Traveling to Manila in January was draining because of our family squabbles. However my trips to Thailand every month were my pet peeves. Armed with my cameras, I took plenty of photos of things that interest me. But the most memorable of my travels were my solo trips to Japan and Taiwan. I experienced so many things that there were no regrets whatsoever.

Love - My students had been inspirations so as the parents of my last pre- kindergarten class. I am not a happy fellow when it comes to my personal life as I am living in constant threats and fear. Maybe one day I will tell people about it but for now, allow me to wallow in self pity as I try to fix my life.

Twelve Panoramic Views of 2014

If there is one thing I enjoyed most was my travels all over Thailand and to its neighbouring countries. The learnings and experiences in each place gave me new perspectives about life and living. As they say, the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. 

Phrae, Thailand

Petchaburi, Thailand

Chao Phya River, Bangkok, Thailand

Tokyo Metropolitan Building, Japan

Maokong Gondola, Taiwan

Chantaburi, Thailand

Heo Narok Waterfalls, Prachinburi, Thailand

Scenery Farm, Ratchaburi, Thailand

Wat Khao Wong, Uthai Thani, Thailand

Wat Phra Son Kaew, Petchabun, Thailand

Klong Tha Dan Dam, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand

Muang Boran, Samut Prakarn, Thailand

Have a fantabulous 2015!

A Christmas Yearning

When I was young, I remember being happy getting crisp two peso bills folded inside an envelope as Christmas presents from my parents or relatives. I was very ecstatic when my godmother gave me a wooden telephone from the US when she came to visit. I was also happy to get a thermos bottle from a very close aunt or some fairy tale books from an uncle of mine. I was indeed a child.

When I grew older, the presents were basically shirts to wear or some money to spend. Being a teacher, I was showered with chocolates and baskets filled with fruit as Christmas presents. I remembered asking our driver to pick me up from school because I cannot carry the gifts by myself.

For the past Christmases, I had been lucky to receive presents, big and small from colleagues, parents of my students, or from friends. The most that I got from one Christmas was a plane ticket and it was a very generous gift. I became, like that child of many years ago.

However, the best gift for Christmas that I could ask for is still on the works. It should be coming from me and it could be cultivated with patience as I get to work for it. I long for inner peace, a kind of sanctity within myself for all that had happened and for all that is happening. I wanted a life less complicated, devoid of dramas, free of emotional baggages and bereft of fear.

As I grew older, my longing for material things diminished while my pursuit for happiness and peace became a hundredfold. May this season be one of joy for those who are sad, wealth for those who are financially lacking, positivity for those who are shrouded with negativities, love for those who are seeking, and peace for those like me who are downtrodden.

                                                             by Ken

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

A Day In Nakhon Nayok

Part of working hard is being stressed out because of deadlines, work loads or simply the idea of burn out. So one lazy Sunday morning, I decided to visit a picturesque place called Nakhon Nayok to enjoy some fresh air and sceneries.

I left at nine and arrived before noon. I had some noodles during some stops and well, was actually tired already from all that sitting. Anyway, I was looking for the place where Sairung Waterfalls was located and finally reached the place before one in the afternoon. 

The river was so inviting but I wanted to know
where the water was coming from.

So there you were! The beauty was stunning
and Google+ even tagged it as an awesome photo.

The clear and sparkling water reminds me of what
our minds and bodies should be.

 

After the falls, I visited the Khun Dan Prakon Chon Dam
 that holds all that water. It is the biggest dam in Thailand
and the largest and longest compacted concrete dam in the world. 

Bathing and playing in the water were some of the activities
done by locals and foreigners visiting the area.

Then off to another waterway and more people were seen enjoying nature's bounty.

The waters moved on the ground in all directions but the tree, high and steady,
was all praised for water's abundance.

Nakhon Nayok may simply offer its rivers and waterfalls as fave destinations but the significance of the water to life and our existence is of utmost importance.

The Ancient Siam, Muang Boran

My high school friends came to visit and what good way to introduce the entirety of the country is to send them to Ancient Siam. Ancient Siam was built to serve as a tool to encourage people to learn about the history of Thailand. Founded by Lek Viriyaphan, the place was aimed to make national traditions and culture which are the foundation of Siamese civilization known to the world. 

Allow me to introduce some of Ancient Siam's highlights.

Bodhisattva Avalokitesavara Performing a Miracle

Dvaravati Wihan

Sumeru Mountain

The Reclining Buddha

The Phra Kaew Pavilion

Dusit Maha Prasat Palace

Thai Junk

"To build a hill, a lump of earth has its own value." This can be compared to a traveler. Each step contributes and has its own value. To complete the building of one hill, it has to depend on the first lump of earth. To reach the end of the journey, it has to depend on first step.                                                                                                                                                  P. Viriyaphan

Art Blast from the Past 2

These are long time memories and they had been shipped from left to right, from country to country, from house to house and now in storage. Allow me to share them in my humble blog. They were painted when I was sick, at the age of 15.

Bakit kaya laging masakit ulo ko?

Kain lang ng kain, bukas na ako magda-diet.

Sige na nga, malapit na ang New Year eh, magbabago na ako!

Hindi po siya suso.

Sana may magbigay ng bota ngayong Pasko.

"Takpan ang ilong, hihikab ulit si Hippo!", and sabi ng ibon.

Enjoy your day!

As I Read, I Learn, I Treasure

Since it was a very quiet evening sitting at the terrace where only the lights of a few houses can be seen, I made some reflections that of my blog and of the people who visited, stayed, and left.

I had been writing for more than seven years now, with an extensive range of topics from personal experiences to teachings, as well as my hobbies of gardening and painting. It also includes my travels around Thailand and to other parts of the world. I started with no readers at all and had for a number of years three people I exchanged comments with: Poi, Jasper, and Lucas.  Of the three, only Poi became a friend of mine where I also witnessed how he evolved as a writer and how he stopped because of personal reasons.

It was only last year when I pique my curiosity and visited other blogs and become braver in cyberspace. I learned how to surf other blogs and ended making comments to some chosen few. It was in the summer of July when I decided to meet the people behind those blogs. I went out of my way to meet six incredible people: Senyor, Ms. Balut, Ambot, Asiong, Jessica, and Cher Kat. It was one of the highlights for myself as a blogger. Meeting six people in ten days from five different places completed my summer holiday in the Philippines. 

From thereon, I came upon other blogs through theirs and stumbled upon more interesting individuals: Fiel, Rix, Josh, Sep, Mark, Jeison, Jay,  Arvin, Kristine, Joy, Mar, MeCoy, Pao, Tripster, Ric, Lili, Simon, Winzton, Jep, Ron, Rajiv, Oliver, Anne, Jobo, Ishmael, Mots, Aian, and others.  And of these list of people, only a handful continued to write their stories. I witnessed as they left their passion for other pursuits and made their blog homes unattended. I did miss some of them because of their spontaneity and all I can do is to wait for their return. 

After 654 entries and 3443 comments, my life as a blogger had changed for the better. I learned how to be open minded, how to be more creative, how to read between the lines, how to effectively communicate, how to listen by reading, and mostly, how to appreciate the visitors' efforts giving some minutes of their lives to read my postings.

I made friends and acquaintances. Though a handful stayed and most left, I remain humble because of their presence and their visits. I continue to write for my expressions, my narratives, my experiences, my stories, and my passions.

I am thankful to those who visited, read, and left words in my postings. May you continue to give sunshine as I learn from all your writings. 

The names in bold print are those I had met personally. All different individuals with equal talents in writing. I miss most of them and I do miss their postings. 

Art Blast from the Past 1

Ink and Watercolour Studies, Aged 15

As I wanted to preserve the artworks I made when I was much younger, I am making a compilation in here so I can revisit my work as an artist. Maybe this will inspire me to draw more and paint anew. The painted animals were based from a Chinese book and the Chinese seal was a gift from a Taiwanese friend bearing my real name.

Let me jazz up the paintings with some current captions.

Come to papa!

Brrr! Ang lamig talaga, pati kili kili ko nanigas.

Ano ba yan, pagod na ako kakatilaok,
kailan ba bibili ng alarm clock itong si farmer?

Hindi na ako sasakay sa elepante at baka mahulog ako ulit.
Ikaw ba? Sasakay ka? 

Pre, pahiram naman pang-ahit mo.

Hindi naman kita kakainin, puro ka tinik!

Enjoy your day!

Starting Life Anew, Loy Krathong 2014

November full moon (fuzzy shot)

It was a bit cloudy when I looked up at the sky. The clouds were scattered making the full moon almost invisible to be seen and admired.

Every year, I take the opportunity to celebrate a beloved festivity in Thailand called Loy Krathong. It is simply a way of giving thanks to the Goddess of the Water. It is also a belief that this special day is a fitting occasion to offer our prayers and appreciation to all the blessings we received. It is also well-accepted that the day means a new beginning as we celebrate this auspicious day of making merit.

Floating krathongs for gratitude.

I floated a 'krathong' along the man- made pool at our local temple. A 'krathong' is simply a cut banana trunk decorated with incense sticks, flowers, a candle, and triangle shaped banana leaves. It is floated on the river or lake to make merit, by letting our old self (bad vibes, unfortunate circumstances, vice and habits) be wash away by the water while asking for blessings, more of a renewal of oneself.

Offering coins to specific days of the week deities. 

Ringing the bells to summon the good spirits for guidance and luck.

Chinese Buddha representing good luck and wealth.

Monkey God Hanuman representing devotion of the heart and learning.

As faith is personal, I respect those who believe in any spiritual being whether it is from Buddhism, Hinduism, or Christianity. What matters most is the action of goodness, generosity, understanding and love we must muster and show amongst each other. Have a great weekend everyone!