Textile stores in the Wororot / Kad Luang Market area
Favorite places
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
We are back in Thailand for the 7th year!
Well it has been quite a long time since we did a blog post but I am feeling inspired and have the time for now. The more we come the more things we get involved in and the bigger our circle of friends.
I also have an ulterior motive, though an altruistic one, to encourage you to take a look at the on-line auction to raise money for Kids Ark. And please share the link with friends and foes alike :-). We have almost 50 items this year. Take a look click -> http://auction.KidsArkFoundation.org Sharing this auction on your Facebook or Twitter or just sending emails to friends will help us a LOT!
One thing new in the auction this year is the ability to help students and families with a donation for which you will receive a certificate which can be given as a gift. If this proves popular we will add more. All the items were donated so make sure to thank the donors if you have the opportunity.
It has been about 10 days since we returned and it has been busy reconnecting with friends and other projects. We are helping /coordinating a project with a local Rotary club to provide glasses to rural poor. Several clubs in New Hampshire and South Carolina are helping to fund a grant to expand the program. The local club works very hard almost every weekend. Bev in her "spare" time has sewn I am guessing 500 glasses cases that are give free with the free glasses. The lens were donated, and the frames are made from stiff welding wires. Here is a video the local club did:
Kids Ark is holding it's own and is preparing to hand off one of it's 3 after school programs to the government. This is always the goal to transition these programs to the Thais. Last weekend we helped "man" a booth at an annual charity fair where we sell handicrafts made by the ethnic minority families we assist. A few of those items are in the auction too. Some of the auction donations are for a school near Thaton where there is a dynamic head who is teaching the children to help their families raise frogs, chickens, pig and fish.
Just for fun and to share our lives a little I have started to record our morning walks with an "app" called Everytrailcom that records where we walk and includes any pictures I take along the way.
Here is an example:
EveryTrail - Find trail maps for California and beyond
I also have an ulterior motive, though an altruistic one, to encourage you to take a look at the on-line auction to raise money for Kids Ark. And please share the link with friends and foes alike :-). We have almost 50 items this year. Take a look click -> http://auction.KidsArkFoundation.org Sharing this auction on your Facebook or Twitter or just sending emails to friends will help us a LOT!
The auction closes Sunday Nov 24, 2013 9:00 PM US Eastern Standard Time (-5 GMT)
One thing new in the auction this year is the ability to help students and families with a donation for which you will receive a certificate which can be given as a gift. If this proves popular we will add more. All the items were donated so make sure to thank the donors if you have the opportunity.
It has been about 10 days since we returned and it has been busy reconnecting with friends and other projects. We are helping /coordinating a project with a local Rotary club to provide glasses to rural poor. Several clubs in New Hampshire and South Carolina are helping to fund a grant to expand the program. The local club works very hard almost every weekend. Bev in her "spare" time has sewn I am guessing 500 glasses cases that are give free with the free glasses. The lens were donated, and the frames are made from stiff welding wires. Here is a video the local club did:
Kids Ark is holding it's own and is preparing to hand off one of it's 3 after school programs to the government. This is always the goal to transition these programs to the Thais. Last weekend we helped "man" a booth at an annual charity fair where we sell handicrafts made by the ethnic minority families we assist. A few of those items are in the auction too. Some of the auction donations are for a school near Thaton where there is a dynamic head who is teaching the children to help their families raise frogs, chickens, pig and fish.
Just for fun and to share our lives a little I have started to record our morning walks with an "app" called Everytrailcom that records where we walk and includes any pictures I take along the way.
Here is an example:
Moat walk Nov 11th
EveryTrail - Find trail maps for California and beyond
Friday, March 1, 2013
Trip up Doi Suthep on the Smash (Suzuki)
We try to go up Doi Suthep at least once every year and usually we do that when we have visitors, as there is a saying "You have not visited Chiang Mai unless you visit Doi Suthep temple". Half way up Doi Suthep we stopped at an old temple,Wat Pha Lad, and enjoyed the quiet and some unusual statues.
Further up the mountain is the Doi Phui National Park which we had visited some years ago and hiked to the real peak. So while we should have headed back down the mountain to pack we instead headed up the mountain to Doi Phui. Our first stop was at a coffee shop which was at the Chiang Mai University Coffee Research Station. It was noon and my lunch alarm was ringing so I asked at the coffee shop if they had any food and the woman replied "No, we just have MAMA" MAMA is Asian junk food hence not considered "food" in my opinion either. However, we were hungry and we both managed to down a cup of noodles. At Doi Phui there is a small museum and it was there where I saw a model and an alternative way down via dirt roads... see the statistics below. As we were heading down we met a mountain biker who said the route was too "technical" and we should go back! Then we met some villagers who said "you can do it". They were both right - we survived with only one bruise on my leg! The way down was much longer than the way up because it was so steep with many bad sections that Bev had to walk ( for her own safety :-)
See the model and some pix
Doi Suthep Created by Google My Tracks on Android.
Name: Doi Suthep Activity type: motor bike Suzuki Smash!
Description: -Up via paved road, down via dirt road full of gullies and rocks
Total distance: 51.00 km (31.7 mi) Total time: 4:17:51 Moving time: 3:40:35
Max elevation: 1534 m (5031 ft), Min elevation: 273 m (896 ft)
Elevation gain: 1556 m (5107 ft)
Max grade: 22 %
Min grade: -23 %
Recorded: 02/28/2013 10:44am
Wat Khoo Tao - Shan/Burmese early morning walk with the sunrise lighting
Further up the mountain is the Doi Phui National Park which we had visited some years ago and hiked to the real peak. So while we should have headed back down the mountain to pack we instead headed up the mountain to Doi Phui. Our first stop was at a coffee shop which was at the Chiang Mai University Coffee Research Station. It was noon and my lunch alarm was ringing so I asked at the coffee shop if they had any food and the woman replied "No, we just have MAMA" MAMA is Asian junk food hence not considered "food" in my opinion either. However, we were hungry and we both managed to down a cup of noodles. At Doi Phui there is a small museum and it was there where I saw a model and an alternative way down via dirt roads... see the statistics below. As we were heading down we met a mountain biker who said the route was too "technical" and we should go back! Then we met some villagers who said "you can do it". They were both right - we survived with only one bruise on my leg! The way down was much longer than the way up because it was so steep with many bad sections that Bev had to walk ( for her own safety :-)
See the model and some pix
Doi Suthep Created by Google My Tracks on Android.
Name: Doi Suthep Activity type: motor bike Suzuki Smash!
Description: -Up via paved road, down via dirt road full of gullies and rocks
Total distance: 51.00 km (31.7 mi) Total time: 4:17:51 Moving time: 3:40:35
Max elevation: 1534 m (5031 ft), Min elevation: 273 m (896 ft)
Elevation gain: 1556 m (5107 ft)
Max grade: 22 %
Min grade: -23 %
Recorded: 02/28/2013 10:44am
Wat Khoo Tao - Shan/Burmese early morning walk with the sunrise lighting
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Trip on a Phantom to Doi Intanon
Yesterday Feb 20th we rented a Honda Phantom ( see below...really only 250 cc but twice the power of the one we usually use. Probably twice the weight however. ) to see if we had a BIG BIKE we would enjoy going on longer trips without too many aches and pains! I was warned that it was a long wheel base but didn't really understand the implications. We rode about 200 Kms or 120 miles to the top of Doi Intanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, just south of Chiang Mai. When we started out in the morning it was probably about 75 degrees F and it felt quite cool on the bike, but at the top of the mountain it was probably closer to 45 F. That temperature felt quite cold with only light jackets on. By the time we rode down in the afternoon it was very, very hot on the bike.
Riding the bike was an experience; if we were on a nice flat straight road it was great BUT if we were going over curvy mountain roads with uneven surfaces it felt very unstable like the tires were under inflated. I even stopped to see if that was the case. Of course learning to use a hand clutch again and the different gears compared to the little Suzuki Smash we rent was also distracting, and on a few occasions I shifted the wrong direction which probably caused some anxiety for Bev. At the bottom are pictures of the places we visited.
Doi Intanon statistics Created by Google My Tracks on Android.
Total distance: 194.69 km (121.0 mi)
Total time: 7:44:16
Moving time: 6:33:47
Average speed: 25.16 km/h (15.6 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 29.66 km/h (18.4 mi/h)
Max speed: 78.30 km/h (48.7 mi/h)
Max elevation: 2529 m (8298 ft)
Min elevation: 238 m (780 ft)
Elevation gain: 2736 m (8975 ft)
Max grade: 38 %
Min grade: -23 %
Here are some pictures..
Riding the bike was an experience; if we were on a nice flat straight road it was great BUT if we were going over curvy mountain roads with uneven surfaces it felt very unstable like the tires were under inflated. I even stopped to see if that was the case. Of course learning to use a hand clutch again and the different gears compared to the little Suzuki Smash we rent was also distracting, and on a few occasions I shifted the wrong direction which probably caused some anxiety for Bev. At the bottom are pictures of the places we visited.
Doi Intanon statistics Created by Google My Tracks on Android.
Total distance: 194.69 km (121.0 mi)
Total time: 7:44:16
Moving time: 6:33:47
Average speed: 25.16 km/h (15.6 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 29.66 km/h (18.4 mi/h)
Max speed: 78.30 km/h (48.7 mi/h)
Max elevation: 2529 m (8298 ft)
Min elevation: 238 m (780 ft)
Elevation gain: 2736 m (8975 ft)
Max grade: 38 %
Min grade: -23 %
Here are some pictures..
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Debate on "right view" at Wat Chedi Luang
On February 15 there was a debate about "Right view" which is called "link: samma ditthi" in the link:Pali language. There were nine monks/novices and three lay (student) debaters. The purpose of the debate was to help stimulate the use of better English in explaining Buddhist teachings to the many visitors who come to Chiang Mai. Our friend and dhamma teacher Phra Montri was competing so I went to see the debate. The week before a group of us who meet with him on some Saturdays discussed his speech and made some suggestions.
I was the only "white guy" at the debate in a fairly large room filled with students who were studying English at 2 universities, and monks/novices studying English at 2 temples.
Each debater was given between 4 and 6 min. to make his case and if he was under that time or exceeded that time he would be disqualified. A system of bells was used to warn the debater at the 4, 5 and 6 min. periods which seemed to unnerve virtually every speaker!
After an initial introduction and prayers six monks spoke and then there was a break or intermission when the students put on a skit they had created. I'm not quite sure what was the rationale for the skit but the video will be shown below. At one point there was also a traditional Thai dance to wish happy birthday to the senior professor who organized the event.
First I will show a video of many of the debaters. I only used about 1 min. of their speaking so you could get a sense of their ability. Of course the range was from very good to "just learning". Watch the monk at about 8:50 minutes and 16:42 minutes for some fun moments.... (volume is low so you will need to turn up the sound as I used my little Canon S100)
Here is the video of Phra Montri's speech and the subsequent analysis. We are very proud that he came in first!
Finally we get to the "halftime" entertainment created by the students. I have to say I found it mystifying but humorous. I think it was a way to raise money for their class as people bid to see who was performing at the end.
It was an interesting experience for sure. Finally, a picture of the Temple in the morning.
I was the only "white guy" at the debate in a fairly large room filled with students who were studying English at 2 universities, and monks/novices studying English at 2 temples.
Each debater was given between 4 and 6 min. to make his case and if he was under that time or exceeded that time he would be disqualified. A system of bells was used to warn the debater at the 4, 5 and 6 min. periods which seemed to unnerve virtually every speaker!
After an initial introduction and prayers six monks spoke and then there was a break or intermission when the students put on a skit they had created. I'm not quite sure what was the rationale for the skit but the video will be shown below. At one point there was also a traditional Thai dance to wish happy birthday to the senior professor who organized the event.
First I will show a video of many of the debaters. I only used about 1 min. of their speaking so you could get a sense of their ability. Of course the range was from very good to "just learning". Watch the monk at about 8:50 minutes and 16:42 minutes for some fun moments.... (volume is low so you will need to turn up the sound as I used my little Canon S100)
Here is the video of Phra Montri's speech and the subsequent analysis. We are very proud that he came in first!
Finally we get to the "halftime" entertainment created by the students. I have to say I found it mystifying but humorous. I think it was a way to raise money for their class as people bid to see who was performing at the end.
It was an interesting experience for sure. Finally, a picture of the Temple in the morning.
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