Chiang Mai, Mae Jo, and Pun Pun

25 Sep 08 -

My first impressions of Chiang Mai are much more positive than those of Bangkok - cleaner, quieter, friendlier, more temples - overall better vibe. I began the day by going for a jog with some others. We stumbled across a waterfall with trails to climb to the top. There we found a slow-moving pool and went for a swim. I caught myself wishing I had brought my camera, as if there were no other means of storing memories but an 8GB SD card.

But that calm voice from within reminded me that it really doesn't matter and I would be better off focusing on simply being present anyway. So I let go and did just that. I floated gently on my back staring at the blue sky through jungle foliage. I realized that I have never felt so content in my life. And for the first time on this trip I was fully present. That familiar sense of bliss enveloped me as every worry I have ever known was washed away by the gentle current.

We at at an exquisite vegetarian restaurant before I performed my afternoon ritual of lolling around and reading. Reading has become somewhat of an addiction and I am somehow on my 4th book in 9 days. All the time traveling I suppose.

27 Sep 08 -

The next morning we slipped off to a small village called Mae Jo where we would stay with our first host families for the next 5 days. We were there to visit nearby Pun Pun, an organic farming and sustainable living and learning center. They serve as a model to teach local farmers and foreigners how to support a transition to organic agriculture. They also host workshops, internships, and trainings, and teach many people how to build adobe and other earthen homes: punpunthailand.org.

The isolated village of about 100 families is unlike anything I have ever seen or experienced. Everyone here seems so happy, and the host families were especially elated to receive us. We sat on the floor for our first traditional dinner. Everything is placed in the middle and we all sit around and pick from the bowls with our hands. The food is so delicious that I completely pig out and can barely walk back to my room to lie down. This would become a pattern and my concerns about losing weight were replaced with fears of gaining some! Unlikely though since everything we eat here is healthy, organic, and grown in the surrounding fields. Passion fruits, bananas and coconuts grow everywhere, and I pig out constantly.

Today we walked a few miles through the fields of rice and corn to visit one of the 9 remaining hill-tribe villages in Northern Thailand. We were greeted by the sounds of children singing. I was literally almost moved to tears and thought for a moment that I had stumbled across the gates to Heaven.

A great transformation occurred in my mind over the course of the day. One of my motivations for this trip was to see poverty and suffering in order for me to no longer take for granted the amenities, wealth and conveniences I was accustomed to. I had found myself becoming increasingly cynical of American culture and felt it would be healthy to get a little different perspective. And that I did. Only it was completely different from that which I had expected. Instead of rejoicing in all those things the West holds so dear, I continue realizing how completely unnecessary all of them really are!

Before I continue, let me do my best to paint a picture of this village: these people literally have almost no possessions - only a small house, some practical things such as pots and utensils, a single rack of clothing for the whole family and a moped. One family had a raft of which they were immensely proud, but their first instinct was to offer it for our enjoyment at the reservoir. Children have no concept of personal property, rifling through our belongings without any understanding of 'our stuff' vs. 'their stuff.' Children, dogs, and chickens roam freely all over the village without concern because nothing unsafe exists here. All of the food is grown in the surrounding fields and most villagers own a small plot of land which they tend to for the benefit of all. Everybody knows each other. The depth of their love for one another is evidenced by the massive grins which span their faces for the greater part of the day. Thailand - land of 1,000 smiles. Everyone here is at peace - perfectly content with a slow and steady pace of life. Everything here is day-to-day and I cannot think of a happier way to live than that. I think this is the very place that John Lennon imagined.

I have found myself deeply questioning whether we are really so much better off in the West with our giant houses, gadgets, gizmos, gas-guzzlers, and grocery stores. All of which serve only to fuel our insatiable appetite for consumption. From what I have seen here thus far, the answer is no. In fact, it seems that all human needs are better fulfilled here than in our own society - particularly those of love, security and an all-encompassing sense of community. While we isolate ourselves in our unnecessarily large houses, paranoid and suspicious of all our neighbors, these people embrace their entire community with open arms and large smiles. While we slave away in offices in a constant state of panic and anxiety about the future, these people tend the fields, take naps all over the place and live completely in the moment. A good portion of the country works for only 2 months a year. One month to grow rice and one month to harvest it. The rest of the year is spent celebrating with an excessive amount of festivals, having fun and actually living life. For example, in April the entire country celebrates New Year's with a 3-day water-fight!

Being here is like traveling back in time. Not only a few hundred years to a much simpler period in human history, but also to my childhood when I could live deeply in the moment without a care in the world. Something was lost along the way from this type of society to "modern civilization," just as we were all robbed of our innocence in adulthood. Something sacred and beautiful that I have been fortunate enough to regress back to.

29 Sep 08 -

We spent the day learning how to build adobe houses. The most fun part was mixing the clay with our feet. It was Margot's birthday so Peer and I picked her up and threw her in the pit, which naturally progressed into a mud fight. I couldn't help but think about all my peers, working 9-to-5's in cubicles and here I am in Thailand - covered in mud like a child and having the time of my life. This village is shielded from the hands of time, and my only concept of each day passing is my penetrating into a deeper layer of joy.