VIDEO-Bicycle Power

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.
The streets of Delhi are a madhouse, I have never experienced anything like it before. We navigated the streets on one of the thousands of bicycyle rickshaws that compete for space on the crowded streets with motorcycles, elephants, cars, and auto rickshaws. We have taken several rides and these guys are hardcore, see for yourself...

VIDEO-Arrival in India

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

Here it is, the first video from India. This footage was filmed the first day we were there, what a day it was...enjoy.

SLIDESHOW-India's First Impressions

CLICK HERE or on the image to download slideshow.

India…what to say, it is beyond words. It is everything we thought India would be and more, we’ve seen it all in just 3 days; snake charmers, lepers, elephants and cows in the streets, ever-present chai stands, dread locked sadhus, pollution infested air, inquisitive looks, ultra-spicy thali’s, garbage filled streets, bustling bazaars, technicolor Hindu posters and statues, and the list goes on and on. It is so raw and in your face the entire time you are out on the street, the only time you get a rest is when you are in your room. I had many ideas and visions of what it would be like, but it is so much more intense when you are actually there living it, standing in the street and surrounded by the vivid detail of it all…If I had not warmed up to it by traveling in Bali, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand for 3 months leading up to it, I could easily see myself being totally overwhelmed by it all and having my first ever panic attack, but it has been alright, in fact I have even been able to enjoy the frantic craziness of it all. We were expecting this and were ready for it.
Arriving in Delhi, it was great to stay with friends from Santa Cruz, Jessa and Mike, instead of having to stay at the dirty guesthouses in Old Delhi. It was calm, cool, clean and after spending our first days exploring Old Delhi it was very grounding to come back to a real apartment
One of the tough things has been the fact that we have been told to be skeptical of everybody that we encounter here as there are so many scams, thieves, and desperate people looking to make money off of unsuspecting tourists. Many of our friends who have been here have told us stories of being ripped off, stolen from, and even drugged. This is an unfortunate reality as we have tried to travel with open hearts and minds, but have had to wizen up and gotten used to watching our backs all the time. The trick will be being careful but not overly paranoid.
The food has been magnificent, it is a vegetarians dream here, and a vegans nightmare. There is barely any meat here, but everything is made with copious amounts of milk, butter, ghee, and sugar, but seeing that neither Malcolm or I are vegan, we have no problems. Sipping on the 3 rupee (10 cent) Chai that is everywhere (even on the buses and trains), and eating the taste bud invigorating 75 cent all you can eat veggie Thali’s has been awesome. Some highlights of our time here so far has been being surrounded by eager Indians wanting to know everything about you (where are you from? How old are you? What do you do? How much do you make? Are you married?), navigating the crowded bazaars, especially the Muslim Mena Bazaar at night where I was able to find a legendary music stall known for its enormous record collection. Also rewarding was visiting the musical instrument stores in Old Delhi, where the Punjabi owners were eager to share with us their skill on the tabla and sitar, and to take us to their warehouses stacked to the ceiling with instruments. Some of the unpleasantries have included the noise pollution, Indians have no qualms about using there horns and literally beep their horns every 5 seconds or more, it is headache inducing and these people are surely on their way to losing their hearing. We spoke to one man who said he has to replace his horn 3-4 times a year!!!! I have never heard of anyone in America having to ever replace their horn. The garbage and pollution is also very intense, my allergies have been acting up due to the amount of dust and fumes in the air. Garbage cans don’t exist here, if so, I haven’t seen them so garbage is everywhere. Cleanliness does not seem to be of a high priority here, which is funny because when we were in Thailand, we were always the dirty smelly foreigners as the Thai are obsessed with being clean, however, here we stink and we are the cleanest around, that’s cool though because we will save money on laundry now that we don’t need to be concerned about getting funny looks for our stank or the spots on our shirts. Personal space is also different here, there are no lines, you just crowd around wherever you need to get to and whoever gets to the front first is the man who gets served, when you are in a line, the person behind you will be pushing and leaning on you even though you can’t go anywhere. These have been annoyances that we will have to get used to, but they are far outweighed by the multitude of offerings India has for us. We are now on our way to Dharamasala/Mcleod Ganj in the foothills of the Himalayas, home of the Tibetans in exile and his holiness the Dalai Lama. We are looking forward to the cold weather as we have been in 80-95 degree heat for the past 3 months and are ready for a change. Until then…

Flight To Delhi, thoughts on Bangladesh

I am on the flight from Dhaka, Bangladesh to Delhi, India. I am filled with an anxiousness that I think is a combination of butterflies and a small stomach bug. Just seeing the streets of Dhaka from a bus window when we went from the airport to the hotel was an eye opening experience. Bicycle Ricwallas (bicycle powered taxis) filled the streets and all the trucks on the road were hand painted with brightly colors and murals. The airline put us up at a simple hotel and Malcolm and I tripped out looking out the window at the street scene below. Even though we were not officially in India yet, we had arrived and it was intense. The people’s eyes are dark and mysterious and it looks totally different than the South East Asian countries we have become accustomed to.
Dhaka is the most polluted city in the world. At night, the headlights create ominous beams through the brown and gray shroud, and when you take a deep breath you can feel the smoke in your lungs. The population is 13 million and it is on its way to becoming the largest city in the world.
This morning on the ride back to the airport, it was obvious that the poverty here is severe. Whenever the bus stopped, men on crutches without legs, emaciated elders, mothers with young children on their arms, and a young blind boy with blank white eyes appealed to us with arms and cups outstretched. It was painful and hard to look at and most people just shut their windows so they did not have to deal with the awkwardness of the encounter. We are about to land in Delhi, and I am glad we have a friends house to stay at, instead of a random impersonal guesthouse, I think we will need an easy transition.

INDIA...Expect the Unexpected

As I sit here on the cold tile floor of Bangkok’s Don Meung International Airport, waiting to board our Biman Bangladeshi Airways flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh and then on to Delhi, India, I am overcome with a sense of anticipation, anxiousness, nervousness, and excitement. I have not felt like this traveling since I first took off to Bali 5 years ago in which was my first trip to a developing country. India has been a mecca to me. Ever since I can remember wanting to travel, I always thought of the day when I would hike the mighty Himalayas or wander down cobblestone streets filled with colours, scents, and sounds that conjur up images of saris, silks, sitars, samosas, and sadhu’s. India is known for its ability to inspire, frustrate, thrill, and confound all at once. It is a multi-dimensional technicolor country, with each region offering its own food, culture, religion, and geography. We have been told that the poverty is confronting and alarming and the sheer crush of humanity can turn walking down a street or entering a train station a struggle. However, the rewards are tremendous, as the culture is so rich, it’s religions among the oldest.
As we only have a limited amount of time, we decided to not try and do the entire country but rather focus on one region so we could fully appreciate what it has to offer. Our trip will see us in the north where most of India’s main spiritual sites and musical offerings are loated. We begin in Delhli where we will be staying with some friends from Santa Cruz, Jessa and Mike who live there now. From there we will head up into the Himalayas and to Mcleod Ganj, where the Tibetan government and people in exile are located and where the Dalai Llama lives and teaches. I cannot think of a better place I would want to spend my birthday! We will be taking some classes in Tibetan music and volunteering our time teaching English to newly arrived Tibetan political refuges. We also hope to take in a small lecture taught by the Dalai Lama himself. From there, we will be doing some trekking in the Himalayas and then down to the yoga and spiritual epicenter’s of Hardiwar and Rishikesh. We will be doing a 10 day Vipassna meditation retreat there, and I will begin work on my yoga teacher’s certification as well as taking some traditional music classes. We then head south through Dehli again to pick up some traditional instruments and then it will be off to Varanasi, the city of Shiva, the holiest city in India where pilgrims come from all over to wash away their sins in the Ganges. From there we will either continue heading east along the north of India to Bohdigaya, home of the Bohdi tree, where the Buddha achieved enlightenment, Buddhism’s most revered sites, or we will head up to Katmandu, Nepal depending on the time and money we have left. Nepal has some instruments that we are very interested in so we are hoping to make it there. We finish our trip in Calcutta, the intellectual and cultural capital of the nation, known for its Bengali dance, music, film, and food, and unfortunately, its squalor and poverty.
Writing these words, I still cannot believe what I am about to embark on. To fully appreciate and take in this country one must fully let go. As I mentioned in a previous journal entry devoted to this idea, I am jumping into this experience with an open heart, open eyes, and a cautious sense of self-preservation, necessary in this country that will eat you up if you are not careful. I am looking forward to sharing the many sites and sounds that we will be encountering there and know there will be no lack of photos and video. The only thing that we can hope for is that we will have access to fast internet connections to upload our images. Expect the unexpected…

SLIDESHOW-Thai Islands

CLICK HERE or on the image to download slideshow.

The islands of Ko Pha Ngan, Ko Phi Phi, and the archipelego's of Ao Phang Nga overwhelm the eyes and the water...emerald above an under saphire green, dark and pale, blue and shimmer-green, wonderous and infinite...not all was bad.

Sun, Sand, Violence, and Death

Sun, Sand, Violence and Death
Our trip so far has been such a learning experience, both difficult and rewarding. We have seen both the best and the worst faces of humanity. I think that is one of the lessons I am meant to learn on this trip is that you cannot have light without dark, happiness without sadness, and life without death. Death and destruction has either preceded us or followed us and seems to be an energy we cannot escape. Before our arrival in Chiang Mai and Pai, a flood had done significant damage and took many lives in Pai. When we were there, I met several people who were still emotionally sensitive about the damage and destruction they had witnessed. Upon leaving Chiang Mai, another flood hit the city that did more damage than the first. As you know 2 terrorist bombs hit Kuta, Bali, where we had been and are very lucky we went there when we did. Katrina hit while we were in Laos, and we watched internet reports of the mounting catastrophe. We have just departed from Ko Phi Phi, which was devastated by the Tsunami last December (see my entry.) When we arrived back on the mainland today, we were alerted of the mammoth earthquake in Pakistan, which has claimed over 20,000 lives. Unfortunately, we had much more intimate brushes with the dark side which have left us pondering the lessons to be learned from all of this…
Visiting the islands of Ko Phi Phi and Ko Pha Ngan in Southern Thailand was meant to be the calm before the storm. The storm being our arrival and adjustment to India, which we imagine is going to test our endurance and our nerves. I was looking forward to some relaxation on their beaches after our non-stop traveling schedule through Laos, Cambodia, Bali, and Thailand. We also wanted to develop some song ideas we had had while there, and figured we would finally have the time. Ko Pha Ngan was beautiful, and we enjoyed time on the North East of the island before moving to the South East beach Hat Yuann. We reveled in the phosphorescent plankton (which you can read my entry about below.) and had a good time swimming in the turquoise blue water that is so warm you can spend hours and hours in it. We were also looking forward to dancing the night away at the Black Moon Party that takes place at a waterfall in the interior jungle of the island.
However, our time there came to a rather abrupt end our 5th day there. Malcolm had taken a yoga class that morning on a beautiful deck that overlooked the bay and was right next door to where we were staying. He figured this would be an inspiring place to come back later to play some guitar. I joined him later on and did some yoga there as well. In the midst of melodies and some downward dog, 4-5 Thai men, with anger in their eyes stormed up to us. Malcolm put out his hand to introduce himself and was greeted by a punch to the head. Within seconds Malcolm was surrounded by these guys and when I tried to intervene I was met by raised fists. The leader of the bunch owned the bungalows where the yoga deck was situated and was yelling nonsense about “us needing to learn a lesson”. We don’t know whether it was a case of mistaken identity but us peacefully being on this bamboo deck in no way warranted the violence by which we were met. Both of us being non-violent, we tried to calm the situation down with words and by me reasoning with them. That was only met with the men picking up bamboo sticks to hit us with. At that point I knew I had to get help, as I knew these 5 guys could kill Malcolm if they wanted to and they had no reason or logic to their actions. I can’t tell you how scared I was, and was in utter shock of the ugliness of these peoples actions. After I was about 20 steps out for help, I turned around because more Thai men were coming and I could not leave Malcolm to be swarmed upon by them. At this point, the leader picked up Malcolm’s acoustic guitar and hit him 3 times with it, breaking it in half. In the brief moment afterwards, we managed to make a hasty retreat and packed our bags and headed to the hospital and police station. First off, the Police are a joke in Thailand, so nothing will happen. Luckily, Malcolm just suffered some bruises and scratches and soreness. We were very lucky as I was not hit and Malcolm could have fared a lot worse.
This was the second guitar Malcolm had lost, the first being stolen in Cambodia. With that, went our ability to work on musical ideas which is a major setback for us. So many people think that these places are so safe and easy, but there is a dark underside to all of these places. Ko Pha Ngan, in particular has a very dark element to it that rears its ugly head in the form of drug dealers, thieves, and ignoramuses that prey upon the foreign travelers. It is not until you witness it though are you shaken out of your tropical dream.
6 days later, we had escaped to Ko Phi Phi, eager to volunteer and help rebuild this beautiful island which is just getting back on its feet. Just going there helps as 100% of the population makes its money from tourism ( See my journal entry below about the Tsunami.) Being there was very heavy, even though the Thai people there give no indication that they many of them lost everything including children, friends, parents, and family. The destruction is still very evident and there are more than a few lost souls haunting the beach. Last night, Malcolm and I were up late at night working when we heard a loud bang. We thought it sounded like a gunshot, but dismissed the idea as we figured no one had guns there. This morning we woke up and went to breakfast. About 30 feet from our guesthouse, a crowd was gathered around an open walled bamboo Tattoo shop that had just re-opened 3 days ago. I had accompanied a German friend to get her first tattoo there just 2 days ago and had spoken with the Tattoo artist about the bamboo technique they use. When I looked inside, I shook back as the site of a body on the floor covered with a bloody sheet filled my vision. Photos were being taken by Thai detectives. It turns out that someone had shot the Tattoo artist in the head with the one shot we had heard last night. No motive is clear at this point but we were speechless. I have not encountered or been witness to such violence in the past 10 years as I have on these islands in the past 7 days. I have been living in Echo Park, Los Angeles, not known for being the safest neighborhood, and have never once seen an act of violence. I felt sick to my stomach as I have never had an interaction with someone and than had them die so quickly. It doesn’t make sense to my logical mind that the same person I was chatting with is dead…At this point, I needed some space and walked to the beach through the rubble of the Tsunami. On the way, still in a daze, a local came up to me, opening a folder that had grisly photos of floating corpses, caskets, and piles of bodies from the Tsunami. I had no idea why I was being shown these and averted my eyes almost immediately, telling him “that’s horrible, I am sorry.” At that point, as I walked away overcome with the numbing reality of death, he yelled in broken English “do you want to buy photos…” At this point, I decided that my time on these islands had prematurely come to an end and we hopped on the next fairy to the mainland, where we hope to process what has happened and come out wiser for the time. However, I was meant with more ugliness before we left when I witnessed a Thai man beat up a woman in front of her 6 year old daughter over a dispute as both were hawking souvenirs next to each other. The way in which Thai men treat women is a whole other story in itself, which I will not get into now. Needless to say, it was the first time I had ever seen a man punch a woman and it was horribly disturbing. The Thai people may be Buddhist in theory but unfortunately, it seems some of them have missed the point…
Life is a gift, tell those you care about that you love them and live your life to the fullest of your abilities…I love you all.

SLIDESHOW-Fire Dancing Ko Phi Phi

CLICK HERE or on the image to download (2mb)

Fire Dancing with staff or with chains (poi) is an ancient art that can be traced back to many countries in the AustralAsia part of the world particularly the Maori's in New Zealand. Today, it can be found all over the world and has a strong scene in San Francisco. I was really looking forward to getting to the Thai islands as I would be able to get back into doing it as it had been years since I had last lit up. I first learned 6 years ago in Australia, and have some friends who really take it to another level( check them out Here.) It was great to get back into it again as it is a truly invigorating and wonderful artform. These photos were taken on the beachof Ko Phi Phi, which last December was destroyed by the Tsunami. The intention behind my dance was a celebration of life, the creative force, and to honor both the people who were killed and who survived. Enjoy

A Note About the Videos and Slideshows

The videos and slideshows that are posted have music and audio accompanying them and it is important that you can hear the music at a decent level to get the full experience. If you have are just using wimpy laptop speakers than plug in a pair of headphones because it will make the world a better place...thanks.

SLIDESHOW-Ko Phi Phi, 9 months after...

CLICK HERE or on the image to download slideshow.

The day after Christmas last year, Southern Thailand and India were rocked by one of the biggest Tsunami’s ever recorded. One of the hardest hit islands was the beautiful island of Ko Phi Phi. It is a very small island about 2 square miles with only half of that inhabitable. The islands population including tourists was at 8,000 at that time of the year and all live or were staying in that small area which has a beach on either side of it. The destruction was huge, over 2,000 people lost their lives, 104 children lost one or both parents, and 70% of the building were destroyed. Thai people do not use banks, so many lost all their savings that were stored in boxes or under their beds. Even though the international outpouring was huge, Thailand, a country which prides itself on its independence and its healthy distrust of western interests, refused any foreign aid. This had made things hard for the people as not one foreign relief agency such as Red Cross or Doctors with Borders ever arrived on the island. The only non-profit that has helped was one set up on the island by a foreigner called Help International Phi Phi. www.hiphiphi.com. They work they have done is incredible and they have organized the volunteer efforts that have been underway since December. We went to the island in order to volunteer and fuel the economy with our money as nearly 100% of the locals make their money through tourism. Upon arriving on the island, judging by the locals attitudes and demeanor, one would never suspect that these people had most likely lost everything, including loved ones, and that they were just getting back on their feet. This is evidence that their strong spiritual faith in Buddhism truly keeps them going. We were welcomed with smiles, and genuine gratitude from the people we met. The island is really coming along with new guesthouses, restaraunts, and other businesses opening everyday. If any of you are going to Thailand soon, I would recommend going there, even if you don’t want to volunteer, there is plenty to do with boat trips, snorkeling and scuba diving, and some great beaches that are being cleaned up everyday by people like me and you. If you would like to see some footage from the Tsunami hitting Phi Phi so you can understand the scale of the wave, you can find it at www.issuespotter.com
We had a very rewarding time on the island being there deepened my understanding of life, death, and change, the main ideas that I seem to be coming to grips with wherever we go on this journey.

VIDEO-Life Is Beautiful

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

Even though our time on the islands of Southern Thailand was filled with its share of dark energy, we still had an amazing time and I was able to delve into yoga, fire dancing, snorkelling, and being an island boy...good times.

To the Islands We Go...

After an overnight bus, two minivans, a ferry, and two trips in a Sangthaew (a pickup truck with two benches in the back, we arrived on the island of Ko Pha Ngan in Southern Thailand. An island paradise where you can relax, meditate, snorkel, hike to a number of waterfalls or dance your ass off every night to drum n bass, psychedelic trance, progressive house, or breakbeats until you drop in the sand. Most people who come here are young and the islands population swells depending on the time of the month. Pha Ngan is notorious for its full moon parties where sometimes 20,000 foreigners,(usually Brits) descend on the island for a few days as an excuse to get sloppy drunk on what are called “buckets”. These are a notorious Thai invention that consists of a bottle of Sam Song Whiskey, a can of 150 (which is the Thai version of Red Bull and actually contains Amphetamines), and Coca-Cola. It comes in a plastic bucket with straws and gives you the feeling of being drunk while the 150 gives you energy and a speedy feeling…not my cup of tea. On top of that the music at the full moon parties is cheesy (house music with diva vocals) and the beach where it takes place looks like a garbage dump afterwards as these people think it is the local Thai’s responsibility to clean up after them. Well, we didn’t want to have anything to do with that so we decided to come to the island at the very exact opposite time where there is a much cooler and mellower version called the Black Moon Party that takes place at a waterfall and has some great DJ’s. We are really using this time to record some musical ideas in this tropical setting, meditate and do yoga daily, swim in the crystalline blue waters and catch our breath before we leave for India.
After Pha Ngan we are heading off to Ko Phi Phi to volunteer there and help bring the island back to life. It suffered extensive damage and thousands of people died and lost everything they owned. Just going there helps breaths life into the economy and is a tremendous help. Many tourist offices in Chiang Mai and Bangkok tell people that you can’t go to Ko Phi Phi and that there is no where to eat and stay in order to keep people there, which is untrue. Everyday, a guesthouse, a dive operation, or a restaurant opens proving how resilient these people are. We are looking forward in doing our little part to help these people after they have been long forgotten as people’s attention turns to other disasters like Katrina.

VIDEO-One from the Vault

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

This video managed to slip through the cracks and never got uploaded. This is from late August when we were at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The poverty in Siam Reap and at the temples itself was heart breaking. All over the temples, there were children like the ones in the video hawking souvenirs for you to by. Some children couldn't have been older than 4 or 5 years old. Give thanks for your childhood...

VIDEO-Muslim Fishing Village on Stilts

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

While we were in Southern Thailand, we chartered a boat to take us around Ao Phang Nga National Marine Park. An archipelego of islands and limestone formations, one of the most stunning places we have ever been. Amidst all these small islands is an entire community of muslims who live in a village on stilts above the water. They make their money from fishing and from people like us who stop to eat and take a look. Check it out...

VIDEO-Chinese Vegetarian Festival

CLICK HERE or on the image to view.

Arriving in Phang Nga, we were happy to hear that festivities for the annual vegetarian festival were taking place there. We were able to witness some truly amazing sights and sounds, only a few of which we were able to capture on film.






Ufortunately, we can only offer these stills of the more dramatic moments:

VIDEO-Blue and Green Surrounds Me

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

Phang Nga National Marine Park in Southern Thailand is truly one of the most stunning places I have ever been. I first visited here when I was in Thailand 5 years ago and had to go again. We chartered a long tail boat that took us through this archipelego of islands and limestone pieces that jut out of the water like they had been dropped from the sky. You may recognize the island to the left as Scaramaga's hideout in the 1973 James Bond film 'The Man with The Golden Gun.'

VIDEO-Om Mani Padme Hum

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

Mom and Dad won't like this, but hey, its better than getting some bogus Navy anchor on my forearm right?

While in Chiang Mai, I had the Tibetan Buddhist mantra OM MANI PADME HUM, tattooed on my right angle. When repeated either out loud or silently, it invokes the powerful benevolent attention and blessings of Chenrezig, the embodiment of compassion. Viewing the written form of the mantra is said to have the same effect. Om means the seed which is behind everything, mani means jewel or crystal, padme means lotus and hum means heart so on one level it means the tnire universe is just like a pure jewel or crystal in the heart which is me and it is manifest, it comes forth in light in my own heart. It is also said that all the teachings of Buddha are contained within this mantra and there are monks in India, Tibet, and Nepal who just meditate on this mantra for years or their entire lives! It feels very fullfilling to have something so sacred on my body and I am reminded of its meaning everyday when I look down.

VIDEO-Cooking Up a Storm!!

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

Hey, guys can cook too!!
Chiang Mai is known for its great food, so we decided to take a class at a place called Spicy House with one of the best cook's in Chiang Mai, Mim. We cooked up 8 dishes in one day and were very full by the end of it. If any of you are in the Bay Area, you may be lucky enough to try some if you let me crash on your floor in December!! yum, yum!

Pushing Myself

I had a very unique experience while in Chiang Mai, Thailand, that illuminated something that I had been thinking about for a while now. When I set out on this adventure, one of the intentions that I wanted to manifest was for me to rediscover my boundaries, spiritually and mentally. Talking with friends, I think we can all relate to this feeling on some level or another. From the ages 16 and 22, I prided myself on constantly walking the edge, reaching out on either side with my metaphorical hands to see where those walls around me actually existed. Whether this was in social situations, climbing trees in the rain, dancing like no one was watching, doing sweat lodges, or experimenting with drugs, letting go was an integral part of my life and my learning process. There is a moment when you are in a situation that is not “safe” when you make the decision to “jump” and really let go. I find it is in those precious and rare moments that you are really alive. As Tyler Derden says in Fight Club after a horrible car accident, “we just had a near life experience.” There is much truth in that line.
When I returned from living in Australia and traveling in South East Asia 5 years ago, I either lost my edge or felt like I was coming too close to the edge for my own comfort and safety. I think that is a natural part of growing up and maturing. When you have tested your boundaries and found your metaphorical “walls”, you rarely go outside of them again as self-preservation is of utmost importance to us. Unfortunately, because of that, I feel like I have been missing out on a lot of magical and powerful learning experiences. I cannot remember the last time I was in a “jump” or “climb back down” situation in my life where I decided to jump. However, I feel like I need to see where those walls are in my life now because I think those walls of safety close in on me every year. Once you make the decisions in your life that bring other people into your life like a partner or children it becomes selfish to engage in some of these practices, although physical acts of bravery or taking drugs are by no means the only ways to find your limits or let go completely.
This brings me to my experience while in Chiang Mai. Malcolm and I were invited to take part in a unique Buddhist ceremony in a little makeshift temple on a rooft by a Thai woman named Sumi. We thought that we were going to a meditation, but it was very different from what you and I think of as meditation. Upon walking up 3 flights of stairs we arrived to a room full of frantic and violent chanting. Everyone was dressed in white and women were in what appeared like trance-like states while men who seemed to be acting as shaman yelled incantations at them. What we later found out was that the women were chanting to put let go of their bad karma, while the men were talking to the bad spirits, getting them to leave. Buckets were at the feet of the women and they would spit into them, the spit being the manifestation of the bad karma. To the observer witnessing this for the first time, it was intimidating and scary. A young girl next to me and driven herself into such a frenzy that she was in tears. I was very conflicted at seeing this because I felt that this was very traumatic for the child and that this would end up causing emotional scares for her when she was older. When you chant a word as fast as you can as loud as you can for 20 minutes and people are shouting at your face, I think it would be very hard not to break down and start crying. The people who had not broken down were being “worked on” by the guru’s until they reached that point. We was being encouraged by Sumi to participate and begin the chanting of “Tamma” (karma) over and over again as the spit bowls were being placed in front of us. I was very skeptical of it all, and with the fever pitch of the chanting and crying that was happening all around us, I felt myself in one of those places where I could walk the diving board and climb down or take a deep breath and dive in. I decided to dive in and was soon chanting while these gurus encouraged my karma to come out. However, I did not swan dive into the experience, but instead just meekly dropped off into it. It was after reflecting on it later that night, that I realized that I was still holding back and not letting go 100%. However, I felt that I should understand more of what was going on instead of blindly indulging in it because I was told to or because everyone else was. Nevertheless, it was that initial hesitancy that alarmed me because it was coming from a place of fear, specifically a fear of losing control.
That night, I made pact with myself to be more open in every aspect of my life so I can shine my light more brightly in my quest for my truth, my true nature, and for the universal truth. I invite any comments or reactions about this idea as I feel like I am not the only one who is going through this. Thanks

CLICK HERE to watch a short 10 second video of some of this chanting.

Video-Techno Workout

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

This one is a quickie but a goodie. When we were in Pai and later in Bangkok, we were witness to some great workouts. They take place on the streets, in fields, and on sidewalks and are free to all. Check it out!

SLIDESHOW-Northern Thailand

CLICK HERE or on the image to download slideshow. (4.5 mb)

Northern Thailand is a beautiful part of Thailand and very different in culture than Southern Thailand. It is famous for the many different hill tribes that live in the mountainous north. We spent time in Chiang Mai, tracking down some instrument makers and in the small oasis of Pai. Both had been devestated by floods only 2 weeks before, with Pai being hit the hardest. Many buildings and businesses were devestated and only half of the town was open. We neverthless had an amazing time visiting some hot springs in the rain and making some spelunking trips to some of South East Asia's largest caves. Chiang Mai is very special as it has over 300 temples within the city limits lending it a very spritual vibe that is a nice change from Bangkok. Hope you enjoy!

VIDEO-Grasshoppers...yum!!!

CLICK HERE or on the image to stream video.

South East Asia has many culinary surprises for the western traveller. While travelling we have seen snake, rat, dog, cat, tarantula, and carious insects on menus. One must set aside any judgement though because these people live in very different circumstances as we do and often these food choices were made out of economic necessity rather than choice. Anyway, enjoy the video...