Thursday, December 31

Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016

To describe the year is an understatement as there are hundreds and millions of inner turmoil that paved the way to a very unhealthy me. Financial loses, my father's demise, sibling separation, and friends wayward, how could I possibly start when all I hope for is an end.  So goodbye to 2015 what with all its miseries and conflicts, its debacles and challenges, its turmoil and altercations. 


A loud reverberating sound from a Buddhist gong signifies start and end
so I then conclude 2015 and embrace 2016.

And hello to 2016 what with its new challenges and unknown gifts.  May this year be a year of love and peace among men.  We welcome all that is good and all that will make our lives better and stronger. 

Happy New Year!  

Tuesday, December 29

Words of Appreciation

How I wish everyday is the Christmas Season so that I get to hear nice comments from the parents of my students.  But I am not going to complain because I do hear them from children everyday.

I am honoured once again to receive a card and signed by all the parents in my class.  This is a first, as this has all comments and well wishes from each parent. 

Allow me to share-







You are the most amazing teacher! We appreciate everything you do! - Boudreaux family

We feel very fortunate that you are Nara's teacher two years in a row. Thanks so much for everything. - Brenden family

Teacher Jonathan, you light up the kids' life! - Udagawa family

We are so grateful to have a wonderful teacher. - Pubudumuni family

Thanks for everything! - Phisuthikul family

You have no idea how much we feel lucky that Chris have you as his teacher for two years. I cannot say thank you enough for all the care you have given to my child. I don't have enough space to explain my gratitude as you can see. - Lertsmithivanta family

Thanks for everything you teach the kids. - Wignum family

We are so grateful to have such a wonderful teacher for these kids.
Trahan family

Thank you for being a best friend to David. We are very happy to see him happy at school. -  Hong family

Thank you so much for everything you have done for Bin. - Huong family

Keep up the great job! The students love your magic. -Williamson family

And aside from a wonderful card and a flowering plant also comes something special.  What wonderful families and thank you. 

Have a great year everyone! 

Saturday, December 26

Gold Garden

This is eight in the morning.
After Buriram,  I finally reached my last destination.  I had been to Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima numerous times and had always stayed at Wang Nam Khiao.  For one, the place is beautiful and the climate is fab!  It was 21 degrees when I was there.  Fog enveloped the roads in the morning when I went to Gold Garden, a new attraction in Wang Nam Khiao.

As a garden enthusiast and a lover of nature, Gold Garden was heaven.  From the flowering plants arranged in spirals complete with a windmill to the vegetable garden robust and green, I was floating!

Colourful candy seats for resting.



The flowers of rainbow colours.



A pergola with a bounty of white gourd.



Some fresh vegetables for 'picking'.



The beauty and the beast.


Some photo ops for Facebook!
I will be back, I will be back!  The best thing about Thailand is that they never run out of things to build and re-create for locals and foreign tourists to visit over and over again.  Good job for Thailand!

Thursday, December 24

The Happy Prince

Illustrated by Walter Crane
The Happy Prince book is teaching me kindness in many levels.  As the prince who is now a statue felt the need to help the poor, he commissioned a swallow to do the job for him.  First, he gave away the ruby on his sword then sacrificing his two sapphire eyes and lastly, scraping all the gold embellished on his body. All these were done to help a woman with a sick child, a writer who is hungry, and a girl who was being punished for not able to bring money back home. 

I am no Happy Prince and have nothing of what he had.  And this Christmas, all those messages of sharing and giving are nothing if they are but mere words with no actions.  The story reminds me to show it and share something of what I have, and to put them to work.


I have no time for many things but I have countless thoughtful insights about each person I meet and see.  They are kept in my mind and heart and will be written in different pieces come next year.


I have no money to buy presents to share but with my meager savings, I will put a smile to those who are dearest to me with small tokens of my appreciation for their support and help this year.  


I have no promises to others but I have the temerity and heart to extend my thanks with a smile and a hug once we meet again. For such companionship is enhanced by physical gestures of warmth, not only in words but also in actions. 


I have nothing much but believe me when I say that loyalty paves a stronghold in my relationship with people.  As long as I feel them as solidly genuine, I can become their truest friend. 



Merry Christmas everyone!

Monday, December 21

A Short Trip to Buriram


After a short stay in the province of Sisaket, another hundreds of kilometres again was traveled and this time, to the province of Buriram.  I ended in the southern part and visited the famous Prasat Hin Phanom Rung.

The path leading to the temple was not hard to reach but the stones were uneven so it was quite a challenge for those who were wearing slippers.  It was a long way to go, climbing up some short stairs and then a steep one. 

Grand entrance steps and my fave pic for this trip!

There were many locals visiting the site and aplenty of selfies and photo ops were seen. It was difficult to photograph the entire facade because of the people but I got one where a monk was about to enter the grounds. 





The Phanom Rung temple complex is the largest and best-restored Khmer monument in Thailand.  It took 17 years to complete the restoration. (lonelyplanet.com) With only twenty minutes of climbing and I was already panting, I ended seeing only half of the complex.



And because I was so tired, I was clicking away without even knowing what I was taking photos of.  All I see were ruins and same as my health, ruined! Time for restoration!




This was a former library called Banalai where religious documents were kept. This Banalai was built in the beginning of 12th century A.D. in Bayon style by the last King Jayavaraman VII of Cambodia.

Remnants of the library


No place is ever grand when there are no trees but this Khmer site is filled with large trees well-taken care through time.  The grass alone is so green and it looks like a carpeted floor leading to the majestic temple of Phanom Rung. Magnificent!


Saturday, December 19

Off to Sisaket!

Bike for Dad along Highway 24
It was surprising to learn that we will have a Friday off because of the BIke For Dad event organized in Thailand where people get to ride their bicycle and tour the cities in honour of the King's birthday. And because I have no bike, I decided to leave the city and went hundreds of kilometres away from Bangkok to escape boredom in a car. 


And as I had been most province in the North and West, I decided to try going Northeast.  When I do travel, I make it a point to just eat noodles because they are not so heavy in the stomach. But this time, it was different because the restaurant I ended visiting served two of my fave dishes, Som Tam (papaya salad) and chicken, eaten with sticky rice. 



Fried Duck Beaks
Chicken, Som Tam and Sticky Rice




I managed to eat all of the salad and had a taste of the duck's beak.  I wasn't sure which part of the beak I am supposed to eat so I asked.












I arrived the province of Sisaket after a long nine hours ride and though I wanted to stay at the national park, all bungalows were occupied.  Found a home stay where I was immediately devoured by allergies because of the diversity of smell surrounding me.


Some of the beauties I saw during stop-overs.


As the room was right in front of a restaurant, the many spices and dried food displayed struggled violently with the smell of the room and the bathroom giving me a non stopped encounter with the box of tissues.  My allergy meds didn't work till I went to bed. At 4:48 am, I was awakened by the barking dog then at 5:07, the roosters started crowing.  It was a cacophony of sounds worthy of a kill. Argh!!!!

I had coffee and left the place to finally take a trip to Khao Phra Viharn National Park. It was a worthy visit for the mountainous region gave me a glimpse of the neighbouring country Cambodia. I specifically wanted to see Prasart Khao Phra Vihan but the park gave no permission for us to cross over. This sanctuary once belonged to Thailand but after a ruling, the sanctuary belongs to Cambodia until now.  I stood right where the mountainous borders of both countries visibly surrounded by armed soldiers. I could see the Wat or temple from a distance using powerful binoculars provided within the premises. 


Prasart Khao Phra Vihan from a distance

Barb wires, hideouts, Bas relief sculptures and stick art
surround the area.

From near and far, a beauty to behold.

Tiring yet fulfilling and lucky that I get to see another part of the country in a very, short time. Time to visit another one!

Thursday, December 17

A Night Before Christmas

It was after dinner when all the family members were seated in the living room watching a television show.  It wasn't as interesting so the father suggested of playing cards.  The four members of the family played with gusto and they were laughing together as jokes were shared.

The other two members were quietly playing with their toys at the side since they were still young.  Aged four and eight at that time, both were not oblivious to the noises coming from the card players.

Then all of a sudden and out of nowhere came a big crashing sound.  It was coming from the back of the house.  All stood up and rushed down the stairs fearing the life of the only dog they had at that time.


courtesy of www.cockeyed.com

The entire wooden fence was smashed and fallen.  
A small truck came to a halt when it banged into the fence of the house.  Apologetic in tone and humble in demeanour, the driver came out unscathed and spoke profusely, that all will be paid for, damages and inconvenience.





When they all went back to the living room, the face of relief can be seen on the father's face.  It wasn't because the fence will be fixed in no time nor the man was kind enough to offer assistance.  It was because the family had no money and the monetary offer of the truck company was more than enough to have the fence fixed thus some money left for Christmas eve.

It will be Christmas soon and the father was more worried of how he could provide a good meal to celebrate the coming holiday. It will also be his wife's birthday and the thought of having nothing to offer was giving him much stress.

The fence was mended and the problem was solved.  It wasn't as hearty as past years' celebrations but still it became a joyous and a very memorable one, filled with humour and a story that can be told over and over again!

Monday, December 14

The Swing

The neglected part of my garden is the swing where a lot of precious memories are stored.  It is neglected because it had rusted from the rain and the wind. But, it is where I got to know and loved a dear friend.  Though we had parted ways for unknown reasons, I kept him in my heart.

We are two different individuals and our ways are opposites.  While I am a homebody, he is the one who wanted to be away all the time.  Any holidays are meant for traveling.  He was the one who brought me to Khao Yai where we met other foreigners for a jungle trek. It was that time when one of my runners opened up and I was literally limping dragging that opened sole until I found a store and bought a new pair of sneakers. And then to Samut Songkram where we rode a boat silently gliding into the waters to see the spectacular fireflies nestled among trees and where it was my first time to experience home stay with a local family.

I had the chance to visit him in his university where one day, he prepared a bountiful feast for a picnic near the river.  That was probably one of the sweetest thing a friend had done to me.  There was also the once a month movie watching as he is a film buff.  After the movie, I see myself sitting at the pavement opposite the theatre watching people passed by.  Whiling away time, the conversations were of depth and humorous, ending only because it was already past two in the morning.

Our initial meet was when a common friend organized a dinner as he just arrived from Canada.  I was seated beside him and during the course of conversation found out that he was also stationed in Thailand.  Lo and behold, our trip back to Bangkok was on the same day so we met at the airport and chatted inside the plane for more than three hours non-stop.  I bet the people behind and beside us were annoyed with our chuckles, laughter, and noise.  It was one happy ride, knowing I am the over dramatic passenger where throwing up in the lavatory or a sickness bag is a normality.

When we initially parted ways for some reasons, we didn't see each other until one coincidence.  I was walking along a mall in Makati in one of my visits to the Philippines when all of a sudden, a familiar face was walking towards my direction.  We stopped, looked at each other, laughed and hugged for some minutes.  It was tight, dismissing the fact that we were in an overcrowded mall. We were probably being looked with envy or derision. 

Then in another fateful day, we met for my birthday and unknowingly, will be our last meet.  It was a very heartwarming and honest conversation.  To quote him, " I decided to let go of people that are of no use to me anymore this coming year, closing my doors to them and cutting off ties as it is time consuming." To which I reply with, "I guess you already made a choice."

After that ominous night of revelation, it was time to walk away and never look back.

Tuesday, December 8

Quote Relevant

He constructed fiction that became a facade for his inner turmoil.

from readers' perspectives, they see my postings 
as something of life's awareness and awakenings, 
that the strength of words used 
scaffolds the meanings of one's existence, 
of volatility, of exuberance, of sheer joy.

from people who clicked without leaving 
any footprints at its doorsteps, their mere presence 
juxtaposed the willingness to get in 
but with reservations or apprehensions, that such readings 
could possibly be intimidating in meaning or trapped in boring compositions.

from those who seems to care, whether they leave a mark or unconsciously 
render their presence, their understanding of the metaphorical insinuations 
and thoughts clouded by a collage of photographs may do an 
impression of my well-being at the moment, my whereabouts, 
and my line of thoughts.

my stories are webbed in truth, pursuits and actions, 
that some dreams had been halted by pressing circumstances, 
that some notes were fogged by convolution of words as 
to hide their truthfulness, that some were not embellished by extravagance 
but by experiences through the passing of time.

i fill in an empty can of life with stories to share, 
that some might learn, that others may recognize 
as opportunities for reflections, 
that one may decipher the true value of my words, 
that of an inner turmoil throughout.

it's an ongoing saga of downfalls and unsuccessful leadings, 
of sadness covered in honey, of loneliness trapped, 
that of smiles and joyful words enveloped in mist, 
in smoke, in heavy air of chaos, where the face is bright 
and the departure time drawing nigh. 

Tuesday, December 1

Worth Waiting For

All my past Sundays were either spent on bed nurturing vertigo or trips to the hospital for check ups so this week, my Sunday was indeed ordinary since I was in the garden for a change.  I water the garden at night and I do not really see the condition of each and every potted plant as it was quite dark.  Besides, I am dead tired every night that what is left of my remaining strength is used for holding a hose and watering them down. That is gardening 101 for me.



hatched and unhatched eggs
I was busy pruning, repotting, and adding soil when I noticed my beautiful climber which once graced the corner of the pond with magnificent drapes of flowers pestered with insects. I was crestfallen to see such state but on further inspection, the climber alone is an authentic example of life cycle in action.  



chrysalis


Nestled among its leaves are eggs, chrysalis and caterpillars.  It was a sight to behold.  I remembered leaving a certain tree in my house for this purpose and while they are standing side by side, both plants helped the healthy growth of these little critters.  








caterpillar

I let them be.  

As I always wanted something pretty to look at, there will come a time that the flowering climber will shed its beauty and be home for other insects. After some time, it will become vivid again in its colour. The changing weather will bring forth its lovely and welcoming flowers.  For now, I only have to wait.

Life throws us lemons and I will make lemonades with them.  My current situation is not healthy and toxic, yet I will make each day something worth waiting for