Around the world in 80 seconds- with melina...

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” Jimi Hendrix

2011-09-21T21:11:00.009-10:00

So here we are- September 21, 2011 and it is a day we are supposed to be celebrating "International Peace" . Instead, I am sitting here in a swirl of various emotions, far from any emotion being close to peaceful; I am grateful, of course, for the fact that such a day has even been set up but am still sickened by the notion that we have oh so very far to go to truly live in a world of that we can call "peaceful".

Today an innocent man was executed in the State of Georgia and most of the Western world is still caught up the silliness of Facebook changing their news feed. One man dies and another one is frustrated over the way he receives his friends’ news. The absurdity of it all is just too much for me to bear right now so thus I write- to try and make sense of it all, if that even is possible.

It also just hit me today that I know in my heart of hearts that one of the main reasons I travel so much is that I truly believe that the more we all get out of our own cultural comfort zone and travel away from “home”, the more we can truly understand, love, and be compassionate with all those who are living around us-in every corner of the world. We can be ambassadors of peace everywhere we go, sharing a smile, a story, a meal, a conversation and remaining humble and open to truly get to know people from every walk of life…

Of course, there are the luxuries of swimming in the deep blue seas of Greece, marveling at the awe-inspiring temples of Bali, trekking in the jungles of South America and enjoying blissful massages on the beaches of Thailand , but in my heart of hearts, I know that the most profound moments I have had when I am living and traveling overseas are those irreplicable moments of connecting with the local people-there is no souvenir that even comes close. None.

To be able to share and connect and celebrate in both the differences and similarities of each other’s cultures is truly the way we will slowly have peace become a place in our world. We must put down our guns at last and speak, love,and understand each other first. Egos must be left at the front door as well as hundreds of years of battling for pieces of land that have only become pieces of scarred tissue on Mother Nature’s womb. We must forgive, let go, and move on. Now.

So on this day of “International Peace”, I would like to say to each and every one of you who has taken the time to read this: “You CAN make a difference. Peace begins with you. Be compassionate- moment to moment. Care about your neighbors, care about your friends, be good to your family and all those around you. Pick up the phone to say “thank you”,” I forgive you”, “I am sorry”. And take time to travel to parts of the world that might scare you or intrigue you. That's right, take the "road less travelled"... I swear you won’t be sorry you did.

Peace.

40,000 miles and a little bit wiser...

2011-04-12T11:30:00.017-10:00

It’s been almost 4 months to the day that I left Hawaii and began my yearly “winter getaway” to SE Asia and “beyond”. And as I sit here reflecting on my final days “on the road” before returning “home” to Hawaii, I have a few thoughts that I would like to share….

I really don’t think I have any sort of bragging rights just because I have traveled over 40,000 miles in 4 months, flown on 26 different airplanes, slept in 18 different hotel/bungalow locations, visited 5 countries, lived on 8 islands (walked around one), taken 16 ferry boat rides, and traveled 100’s of kilometers on a motorbike (though after writing these stats down, I am thinking I either need to start working for the airlines or start writing for Lonely Planet to help supplement this travel "addiction" :-) )

Nor do I think it is anything too “out of the ordinary” to having flown 20,000 miles to Miami, Florida to do a triathlon a week after finishing a 2-week tour (and a 6-month job) of hosting 21 people in Thailand and Bali ...

and even in the 90-degree heat and being completely sleep deprived and jetlagged, I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face, not because I broke any records , but just because-I finished. And that is good enough for me. For now.

Nor do I think it is crazy that in 4 weeks time, I get on yet another plane for Greece to host another 2-week tour there ...
before coming home to teaching creative writing for forty 6th graders while working on a CD of music that I have always wanted to record on piano….

and then I am back to Greece again in August to do yet another 2-week tour there with hopes of making it to Spain, Italy, and maybe even Africa this time…

Crazy ? perhaps ...Sounds glamorous ? maybe….A bit tiresome ? Absolutely….Any regrets ? Absolutely not…For this is just my life, plain and simple, and I feel a bit silly to even think of any of this as any sort of "accomplishment" or that what I am sharing is of any interest to anyone but I do feel compelled to share, especially after so many friends have written me and told me how inspired they are by the life I lead..I am sincerely and forever grateful for these words of kindness and support and feel a very deep need to share and give back my gratitude to all of you in the form of some sort of reflection-so here goes….

First of all, I don’t think too much about what I do as any sort of “accomplishment” per se- really, I don’t.
For you see, this is just how I have lived my life-for many years now.... listening to what dreams I want to accomplish, what places in the world I want to see, what sort of tests I want to put my mind , spirit and body through…you know- the usual “stuff” that we all stop and think about, write about, and even sometimes manifest in our life…

I have always wanted to live a life of “no regrets” and this mantra stays with me almost daily as I make choices , often moment to moment, of what I want to do, where I want to go, who I want to be with, etc. I say what I need to say when I am with people,do what I say I am going to do, and make sure my “bucket list” continues to get “checked off”. I don’t think we have a lot of time to waste while we are here sweating the “small stuff” so I try to continue to make dreams come true , try to do it all with a smile as much as possible and gain some valuable life lessons in the process.

So after another 4 months of traveling throughout Southeast Asia and across the US and back, here are a few life lessons I would humbly like to pass on to anyone who is reading this :

You will never find the "perfect place" or the "perfect life" until you find peace in yourself. Paradise is a state of mind; you can be living in a state of hell, even in the most beautiful part of the world. “You can run , but you can’t hide” so take time to look inside and take care of what needs to be taken care of. Lord knows, I have had some pretty “dark” moments while being in some of the most beautiful idyllic places in the world. Nothing like having a good cry while watching a most beautiful sunset somewhere in the south of Thailand to remind you of this ;-)

Life is short- make your dreams happen now…don’t wait till tomorrow, or next month or next year to start making them happen. Get the ball rolling now and do everything you possibly can to write “that list” and start checking it off as soon as possible

Follow your bliss, the money will come…Do what you love and become the very best at whatever you do…integrate this passion into your daily life….and if you are loving what you do, I swear the money will come…I am forever grateful that I still get to do things I love ( teach, play music, travel) and still get paid for it. I think this is what success is all about: not how much you make with what you do, but how much you enjoy what you do while making it !

Simplify your life…Less is more-truly it is…I have found that living out of a simple carry-on bag for months at a time has proven to me that I am happiest when I have the least amount of “stuff” around me. This frees us all to be open to all the wonders of the world around us, including being able to take the time to meet some of the many amazing people that walk this planet with you.

Continue to evaluate what is important in your life and make them your priority….For me, the “biggies” in my life are: Family, friends, my health, the ocean, surrounding myself with children, exploring new and peaceful environments where I can retreat , and continuing to nurture my creative spirit through music, theater, the arts.These “biggies’ have been pretty consistent throughout much of my life but as I travel more and more throughout the years, the concept of home, peace, close friends/family, and being close to the ocean have become more paramount.This is what fuels my soul, this is what fuels my creative fire.

Life is all a choice. Never underestimate the power you have to create your destiny. It can all change overnight by you saying “yes, I will …and can..” Just do it.

Last, but certainly not least…live your life with as much daily gratitude and awareness as possible. Life is so much more "full" and fulfilling this way. Your eyes become open to so much more beauty and your heart becomes so much more ‘filled’ when you can appreciate the gifts in every moment in this “thing” we are given called “life”…

So, as I end this entry and this 4-month journey, I want to say thank you- plain and simple-to every single person who has crossed my path these past few months and put a smile on my face and in my heart…no souvenir can ever replace the gift of experience and friendships and for this reason alone, I feel like the richest person alive…

Until we all meet again….

Looking for love in all the right places- Happy Valentine's day...

2011-02-14T02:27:00.011-10:00

So today is Valentine’s day..that dreaded day for so many who feel alone and are alone on this day of supposed romance and chocolate…

It is almost impossible to ignore all those romantic messages everywhere you look; roses and champagne here, sunset kisses there, scenes of romantic dinners and walks everywhere you turn…I even see scenes like this on my little remote island here in the south of thailand…go figure..

Hallmark Cards has a monopoly on this day and my hats off to every single marketing exec who had a part in this so-called “holiday” that claims to celebrate love and romance…

But for the majority of the planet, this is just another day-and another day spent with the same stresses of yesterday and with the hopes of a perhaps better tomorrow…

And for someone like me , here on a tiny island in the south of Thailand, this was just another day but made more full and alive because I made a choice….

That’s right. I made a choice not to get sucked up in this whole notion that if you are “alone" , there is something wrong with you or something to be sad about. No siree-I woke up this morning refusing to go “down” in any way whatsoever…Hallmark was not going to trap me nor was any kissing couple on the beach or champagne bottle I heard popping in the distance.

Today was going to be a day about giving love back to me, something I know I forget to do quite often. And I sense I am not alone on this one..

So today became a day of remembering a great lesson-and I was inspired by a Buddhist quote that I came across just a few days ago :

‎"You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself,  and you will not find that person anywhere..."

As hard as that is for me (and I suspect a few others)to swallow, this quote is correct in every way…

I think most of us going through so much of our lives searching for love, truth , and happiness in every way and every place and person possible. We want to believe that “this place” or “that person” or “that thing” is going to complete us, make us whole, make us feel love like we have never experienced before…

It is all for naught.

Really, it is . I feel like I could write a book at this point ( and maybe I will) about the dozens of times I felt like I found “it” in my life through a person, place, or experience I had…but it is all transient;

everything comes and goes in life- even love , even life…

And the only thing I have found that is constant is the love you can give yourself-that inner “best friend” that can make you laugh, pick you up, cradle you when you need it most and when you feel no one else is around…

So to all of you who have taken the time to read this, I say to you 3 words:
“Love yourself first"-it is not selfish, wrong, or hurtful..it sounds clichéd, used too frequently in new age tapes and books, but it is a truth that cannot be overlooked…pain and suffering will just ensue otherwise…

And as I pop open my bottle of “valentine” champagne tonight, I will make a toast to all of you…

And to me-for just taking the time to try and “get it”…..

Happy valentines day- may you always feel the love within you shining and smiling upon your soul. …

"all Americans are fat and carry guns" and other ' grand conclusions' I hear on the road...

2011-02-01T04:17:00.011-10:00

I am always weary of people who make sweeping generalizations of a country, its people, and its culture based on a visit that consisted of only a few days or even a week or two…

I don’t know why but I think this may be one of my biggest pet peeves of all time. Perhaps I hear “ego” screaming when I come across these people in my travels or when I read travel blogs where the author claims to “know it all” about a country based on his or her stay in a 4-star hotel for the weekend in Delhi or a in a well-run family resort on some nice secluded island in the south of Thailand..

Please don’t tell me India is “all this way or that” based on your one- week trip to Delhi or that Thailand is “just like this...” based on your fun weekend getaway to Phuket or that your 3-day visit to Saigon made you think ALL Vientamese people are a certain way and that they all think “this way” about Americans and the war…”

Say what you feel and feel what you say, of course, but for godsakes, please don’t speak for an entire nation and it people….

What “gets my goat” even more is when I hear that these so-called “seasoned” travelers often never have one conversation with a local person while they were away – not one. And even if they did, how on earth can one darn conversation give anyone insight into an entire country after just a few minutes of a conversation? (If someone can tell me how this is truly possible, please write me asap so I can rid myself of this pet peeve – please, I would be forever indebted…)

For to make sweeping generalizations about any place or people (even your own..) is incredibly ridiculous and absurd to me- it always has been. It is like someone telling me “All Americans are fat and love fast food and carry guns” or “I hate American Airlines and they suck and I will never fly them again because the ONE flight I took with them was 2 hours late and I missed my connection to LA and my stomach got a bug after I ate their meal and I couldn’t sleep because of the baby sitting next to me, and I didn’t like the color of their seats and my finger nail broke when I turned the bathroom door ( okay, I diverge a bit here but you get my drift..)

So what would I love to hear from you travelers instead ? How ‘bout some truth and honesty about what YOUR day or week was like in India, Thailand, Vietnam, or wherever…Just tell me what YOU saw, who you spoke with, what your learned, what insight you may have gained about a cultural practice….I really don’t want to hear about your conclusion of an entire people and their nation based on some made-up bullshit you overheard from the drunken guy in the back seat of the bus you took from the airport to your Westin hotel in Hong Kong. Makes for a fun story, for sure, but don’t go telling me you know the Chinese people based on this 20-minute escapade.

Please- tell me instead about the beautiful wide-eyed child you took the time to play ball with in the schoolyard or the old lady at the street corner in Bangkok who you finally stopped to speak with after passing her and her noodle-shop for over a week.

or tell me about the dinner you had with the Muslim family who invited you over to their house for dinner and played cards with you till dawn …

or the Balinese taxi driver who drove you to his personal family temple where you got to sit and pray to side-by –side as Buddha smiled above you both…

Tell me about the shy Thai man who had the courage to open his heart to you and share his deep joy that his girlfriend finally called and “wants him back”…

… or the story about the humble and hard-working owner of the local Vietnamese supermarket whose wife just gave birth to a baby boy today but he still has to be there to run the shop because he couldn’t afford to pay for extra help..

Or how bout this heart-wrenching moment that literally just occurred as I took a break moments ago to pay for my room here in Bali. I was saying good bye to one of my favorite Balinese receptionists, and was giving her a big hug, thanking her for all her help . I then started to ask her about her family..She mentioned she had 2 young boys but said she had a daughter who “left a long time ago” and then I went silent…Seconds later I find out her daughter died during birth and that she only had a few moments to see her alive before she passed…and then she adds “She was very beautiful with big brown eyes.. and she even had your nose”…

These are the sort of moments that just stop me dead in my tracks..for they become moments where all “veils of differences” between cultures and people are dropped- instantly….

...for It really doesn’t matter to me what god you pray to, or what side of the street you choose to drive on or how you dress or what you eat…

I want to know what makes you tick, what breaks your heart, what makes you want to get up in the morning, what would you risk your life for, who you would jump in the fire with…

And the only conclusion I dare to make from all the many years I have been traveling is that we as humans are all so much more connected in similarities than we are in differences- We are humans first, afterall…and with this amazing commonality brings yet an even more amazing possibility to focus on the spirit that connects us all…

And if I ever come across to others as a “know it all” about travel or anything else for that matter. , I will stop dead in my tracks and just go home. And stay there.

Happy trails….

Buddha lives in Bangkok...

2011-01-08T15:29:00.008-10:00

Oh yes he does, I see him smiling everywhere…every corner I turn, he is there in some form or fashion, whether it is in the smiles of the young children playing in Lumpini park ...

or in the blind beggar who is singing “Feelings” for the 10th time that morning in the blazing heat under the noisy train tracks that reeks with the smell of heavy incense and stale urine….

Buddha really is alive and well in Bangkok and after coming to this city for over 12 years, I think I finally have it figured out. Bangkok is sort of like life: If you don’t like it, you can leave, passively watching it from the sidelines, numbing yourself from the reality of what “is”. But if you choose to be a part of it, to truly dive into the beautiful ebb and flow of all the chaos that is here, you can’t help but take delight in all the wondrous surprises that await you with every corner you turn.

Bangkok doesn’t try to be anything else than what it is; there is no pretentiousness about it whatsoever. It is big, it is crowded, it is noisy, and there is traffic on the roads that just never ceases. Street beggars are scattered everywhere though they are all very polite and do not come to you or bug you in any way; they sit or stand quietly on the curbs, singing a song, holding a baby or two, or just calmly rock back and forth crossed- legged waiting for the next jingle of a coin to hit their bucket.

Its people are some of the hardest working people I have ever seen; day and night they are out on the streets selling their foods and wares, always with a smile, and always with the knowledge that there might not be more than a few customers that actually buy something for the day. But they show up. Day after day. They do not give up.

Their physical and spiritual resilience is palpable-for only 6 months ago, this city was under a state of shock and siege as opposing political forces fought each other the good ol’ fashioned way- on the streets, with sling shots, bombs and stones. Government buildings were shut down as were some of the cities largest shopping malls. It was devastating to see a city full of so much love come to this point of emotional and physical eruption. I was moved to tears every time I saw images of the violence blasted on the world wide media. This just wasn’t the Thailand I knew or loved.

Yet it is now peaceful again- to a point where it seems more calm than ever. Perhaps the Thai people realize they went a step too far and instead of shooting off the opponents, they all shot themselves in their own foot instead. The violence had gone too far and I believe they now realize this.

Yesterday, I returned to the very same spot where the center of all the riots took place and upon seeing the sign above my head that said : “Welcome to the World of Happiness”, I broke out in tears, reminded once again that life does go on and things do get better and that the Thai people personify this resilience like no other culture I have seen....

Sawatdee Ka Thailand….it is nice to see your smiling face again…

t-minus 60 days....

2010-11-07T21:37:00.017-10:00

So it just really hit me that in 8 weeks time I will embarking on my 3-month adventure back to Southeast Asia again. It is my 6th year returning there and I feel the excitement already kicking in (and yes, I am already thinking of how little I am going to be bringing on this trip and am excited to live out of one bag again for awhile ! call me strange, or just call me a "gypsy" at heart but I absolutely love this part of my travels !... :-) )

I always have new places to visit when I go and this time will be no exception. I have a couple of Thai islands that I want to explore (and will keep them "my secret" for now:-) ) and will return to Laos and VIetnam again to visit new areas I did not make on my last visit there. India is also an option now as I recently had an invite from very good friends who live there for 6 months of the year- there is nothing like seeing a new place through the eyes of the locals ! and India has always been one of those places that has hauntingly beckoned me for many years..I think it is time...

I am also excited to conduct my second annual "Live Laugh Love Tour" that will take me and my group to Bangkok, the Thai island of Ko Lanta , Kuala Lumpur, and Bali. It is a dream come true for me to show friends some of my favorite spots in the world and I can only hope they will return home with wonderful stories and memories to share with their friends and loved ones...check out this link if you want to come join us ! www.livelaughlovetours.blogspot.com

But perhaps what I am most looking forward to on my trip is the "detaching" from my usual day-to-day "busy-ness" and taking more time out to take care of "me"...I have realized that these trips have been amazingly useful for me in that I always come home so much more energized and rejuvenated with so much more creativity and energy to give to others. It is like I leave Hawaii with my "vessel" almost "empty" and return 3-4 months later on "full". It feels like such a wonderful reward and gift to myself after working so hard all year.

and yes, I feel an amazing amount of gratitude as well...

for my health holding up so I could work all year to get to this point..

for my friends and family who support me 100% and who understand why I need to do this...

for all my friends overseas in Thailand and elsewhere who always welcome me as if I am family when I return...

and of course there is always a special feeling of gratitude for my mom and dad who instilled the spirit of fearless exploration in me at such an amazingly young age.

I am forever indebted to them both..

thanks Mom and Dad....

and to all those of you who are reading this- know that the world is always your oyster...

just make a plan and make it happen..

happy birthday John Lennon...

2010-10-08T19:01:00.007-10:00

So today would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday...hard to imagine, really, what a 70-year old John Lennon would have looked like today. I suspect he wouldn't have grey'd much and would be still wearing his wonderful thin-rimmed glasses and still be smirking and shocking the cameras and media on a weekly basis with yet another wonderfully creative antic to bring attention to a world issue at hand.

He talked about a world where there were no countries, only peace..."no hell below us-above us only sky"...a world where there were no possessions nor no need for greed or hunger..only a brotherhood of man....

a world where we could all travel the globe , wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted, without a cell in our being experiencing the slightest sense of fear-only love, acceptance, tolerance, understanding and compassion....

now there is a world worth imagining....

Happy Birthday John...

we miss you...

never underestimate the power of your smile..

2010-10-08T15:11:00.005-10:00

for in a matter a moments, you can change someone's life..

or at least make their day....

(Luang Prabang temple, Laos- Feb, 2010)

be here now....

2010-08-31T09:11:00.000-10:00

Don't let your mind get weary and confused
Your will be still, don't try
Don't let your heart get heavy child
Inside you there's a strength that lies

Don't let your soul get lonely child
It's only time, it will go by
Don't look for love in faces, places
It's in you, that's where you'll find kindness

Be here now, here now
Be here now, here now

Don't lose your faith in me
And I will try not to lose faith in you
Don't put your trust in walls
'Cause walls will only crush you when they fall

Be here now, here now
Be here now, here now

less is more...

2010-08-27T17:28:00.016-10:00

I love animals (and not necessarily zoos) because they rely on their instincts only. They are not rewarded with a paycheck for a job well done at the end of the day nor do they complain if they don't have a new blanket to sleep on when night falls. They don't have mirrors where they tell themselves daily "I look too fat" nor do they have neighbors they envy because "their cage is bigger than mine". Nope, animals are pretty darn simple creatures who seem to take whatever is thrown at them (both literally and metaphorically) with a grain of salt.

I am always reminded of a most valuable lesson when I am around animals and it is this: "Less is More." Plain and simple. The less physical clutter you have in your life, the more room you have to roam free like a dolphin playing passionately in the ocean ...

I am not sure where I first learned this valuable lesson but it is one that I hold very near and dear to my heart. I do know, however, that I often attribute my sudden shift to a literal "lightness in baggage" in life to a moment when I was about 10 years old.

My family was on its way to the airport to catch a flight to Greece (I believe this was my first time there) and I was carrying a HUGE yellow vinyl suitcase ( I swear it was bigger than me ) with about 8 pairs of girly-girl shoes and every summer outfit one can possibly imagine a 10 year old Greek/Brazilian girl would be wearing in 1974 . Halfway down to the family station wagon, my dad stopped me dead in my tracks, took one quick look at my oversized Samsonite, picked it up , opened it up with 2 quick "clicks", and dumped out its entire content right there on the ground in front of me.

All I could I hear my dad saying at this point (through my tears and heavy dramatic sobs) was this : " one pair of shoes, one pair of shorts, one bathing suit- now go back and pack- hurry up- we leave in 5 minutes !"

Well, needless to say, I have never been the same since.That wonderful lesson of "less is more" was truly ingrained in my brain from that day forward. I have never packed more than a couple of pairs of shoes in my luggage since and I have yet to check a bag in on any flight I have taken in about the last 15 years.

The liberation of having so little on your back when you travel is now something I crave. Knowing your whole world is in a 2x3 ' bag keeps one mind and heart focused on the more important things in life: the world around you and the inner "stuff" you always carry with you in your heart and mind. Now that is the kind of baggage I don't mind checking in. And you never get charged an extra cent.

what are you waiting for ?

2010-08-26T08:31:00.016-10:00

there is no time like the present- seriously, this is all you and I got.

You can try to tell me every dam excuse in the book of why your life is so miserable, why you haven't been somewhere, why you haven't made this amount of money, bought "that" car, found "that" girl, learned "that" skill, lost that weight, etc...the list goes on and on and on and ON...

We have all been "there"- some more than others. A place where we wallow in our self-pity and present to the world a person who has been a victim of some sort of circumstance that has put us" there" in the first place.

Many of us create incredibly detailed reasons in our mind why we just can't do something- why we are just not "good enough" or "smart enough" to make our dreams come true :"My mother beat me." "My girlfriend left me." " I only got C's in college" . Go ahead- write down your "why I cant do this" list now or think about what excuses you have used in your past or are currently using now- you may be surprised at how negative your mindset really has been for much of your life.

So what is it that REALLY stops us from going for our dreams ? Is it fear of failure , of looking like a "loser" in others eyes ? Is it maybe a sort of "depression" comfort zone we get used to after thinking this way for so much of our lives ? Or maybe what really stops us are the massive amounts of fear-based negative messages that bombard us daily from the world around us (i.e. " the world is a big and dangerous place and you are weak and small." )?

Okay, so here's the scoop.-I am here to let you know first hand that the best thing you can first do to start making your dreams come true is to JUST DO IT. Yes, that is right. I know this may not seem like such earth-shattering news and lord knows Nike made enough off this expression so something's gotta be kind of corrupt here but honestly, this is it. This is all you have to do. Start with one thing you want to have or get accomplished in your life and make this your priority with all else you do.

For example- you want to go to Bali. I don't blame you. Bali is a magical, spiritual, beautiful place filled with amazing culture, people, landscape and food. I had always dreamt about going to Bali as well and I didn't just want to go there for a week or so- I wanted to live there for awhile, explore its neighboring countries and be totally immersed in its culture for awhile.

So about 15 years ago, I made it a priority. I took on a couple of extra jobs teaching, playing music, and directing shows and drastically reduced how much I shopped for "meaningless stuff". No more going to Costco on Sundays for "bulk" shopping or eating out every night because I was too lazy to cook at home...Nope, I had enough of all the basic physical comforts in my life and just needed to focus on having enough cash to get my butt off the island that i lived on to another island about 5,000 miles away. (seems kind of funny now as I write this as I just realized so much of my life has been filled with traveling from one island to another- hmmm....I see another entry coming on this topic soon:-) )

So I worked my butt of for about 6 months, sacrificing on some of the modern comforts I was used to but knowing full well it was all for one goal: to go to Bali. And yes, I did end up living in Bali for a month and saw just about every corner of this magical place. New friends were made as well as a newfound connection to a spirit world within me that was waiting to be set free- Bali did this for me and I will be forever grateful.

My suggestion to anyone reading this right now is this: if you have a dream, please go for it. Your mind is the ONLY thing that is stopping you. Please turn off those demons in your head that keep telling you all the reasons you "CAN'T" do something and instead start writing down daily lists of all the things you are doing towards making your goal come true.

It is not just a one-day process either- you need to sometimes literally "re-wire" your brain into how it sees "you" in the world and this takes time. Yes, visualizing is always good- Try actually "seeing" and "feeling" yourself in the situation you are dreaming about from every little detail to how your body and breath feel to how you will feel when you wake up in the morning, I have done this countless of times and on a daily basis and I can tell you that when the dream finally does "come", it often feels like a bit of a "deja vuz" as my manifestations are often very similar of what I first dreamt about.

So start that list. Start it now. And start with number one. And please do everything you can possibly think of to make that first dream come true. Then start working down your list. You will start seeing these dreams come true quicker than you could have ever imagined.

See you in Bali.

.

"aren't you afraid of traveling alone ? "

2010-08-24T11:48:00.019-10:00

If I had a dollar for every time I have been asked this question, I could have bought a round the world air ticket by now....Seriously, this is by far the most common question I get asked from almost everyone I meet when I tell them I am about to embark on yet another trip to a faraway land. Usually there is a second question that comes right after this one, something to the effect of "Do you feel safe as a woman traveling on her own?" and before they go on to the next question about whether or not I get homesick, I begin to smile, and gently shake my head "no" and begin to explain to them something I have been sharing for most of my life.

No, I am not afraid of traveling alone. This is an absolutely foreign concept to me. I have been on airplanes since I was 4, traveling alone on buses since I was 10, and living on my own since I was 18. I am not afraid of my own company. In fact, I actually like and often prefer my own company. I am usually pretty fun to be with and seem to have honed some pretty good survival skills over the years to cope with whatever situation is presented to me (and there have been many...more on that in another entry or two..)

Sure I have some fears in life (riding rollercoasters comes to mind right now) but getting on an airplane and landing in a country where I know no one and no one knows me continues continues to be one of the most exhilarating experiences that I have in my life. It is hard for me to describe the adrenaline I feel days (sometimes even weeks) before I am about to go on another trip. My sense of adventure for the unknown is so heightened that I often have to make sure my mind's eye doesn't take over and create a whole scenario for me before I even get to where I am going.

I am a believer in letting things "unfold" as they need to though I do believe in at least booking a hotel room or 2 in advance (tripadvisor.com is really good for this) so I can just land, get to my room, and start exploring with no time wasted. And yes, I still have whims (that I often act on) of getting on a train or plane and just going "somewhere" and not knowing much about what I am about to see. I did that in Vietnam 2 years ago and for a month I traveled up the entire coast from the Mekong Delta to Saigon and then onward to Hanoi with nothing more than a lonely planet guide book in tow and the recommendations of fellow travelers I met along the way.

"There are never any strangers in life- only friends you haven't met". These were the words I saw on a worn wooden plaque over our dining room table in my childhood home in Orange, Connecticut. These words continue to ring true for me and I often recite them to myself as I make my way down cobblestone streets in unknown cities and villages where heads often turn from cafe tables and store windows and I am greeted with warm smiles and gentle nods of "sawatdee ka" and "guten morgen".

Perhaps what makes me feel most safe in any foreign country is connecting and playing with the children. Truly this has been my playground and the many moments of laughter and joy I have with these kids will continue to inspire me to travel more. Kids just aren't afraid, plain and simple. They still haven't been told that some people are "bad" and some people are "good". Their sixth sense is completely intact and they just "know" when you want to be friends with them and play. There is no second guessing with them. Just the other day, I was playing with a 2-year old adopted Chinese girl who had never met me before and within 5 minutes of me talking and laughing with her, she gently grabbed my hand and asked me to walk her to the pool to play. An hour later, she gave me a kiss on the lips and said "bye bye" in broken english...a trust was built and then shared....if only everyone got along so easily and well.

So the bottom line is this: traveling alone is safe and often a great deal of fun. If you are open-minded, friendly, and willing to start up a conversation with strangers, you will never feel alone. If you are resourceful, have done some homework on where you are, even better. You will get a good sense of the lay of the land pretty quickly and there always seems to be someone just around the corner that can at least point you in the right direction of "somewhere"

Knowing the language is always helpful but what I find even more helpful is being really good at pointing to words in a dictionary when asking for help. Being clever with nonverbal gestures can also be a lifesaver as has been the case for me in dozens of foreign places around the world where the locals did not speak a word of English. ( Chau Doc, Vietnam comes to mind right now)

And yes, being a woman that travels alone also has some challenges but I sense I really don't need to lecture you all on how to "be" ; Just be yourself, walk with confidence, smile a lot, and just know when to walk away from a situation that might seem "dangerous". Most important of all, trust your instinct- it is usually spot on.

But do remember this: once you get the hang of traveling on your own and have rid yourself of those "demons and fears", you will feel the whole world is literally at your fingertips. No one or nothing can stop you. And that is a pretty darn cool place to be.

If you have any experiences and helpful advice that you would like to share from traveling alone (either as a woman or man !), please share. I would love to hear from you.

until next time....be safe but dont be scared.

in melina we trust....

2010-08-23T21:44:00.039-10:00

So I just received this picture from a friend of mine the other day (thanks Fred !) and thought it would be appropriate to use this "lucky coin" as a sort of "re-entry" shot for me to get back to writing on this blog. I have taken a year off from writing as "melina007" and did this for a couple of reasons:

First: I started to get comments from friends and family that I wasn't making comments "often enough" and as touched as I was by their frequent requests, I found I was feeling unnecessary pressure to "report back" as if it was my duty to tell them all that I was doing on a daily basis; I didnt want this, at least not at that time. I knew I needed a break from a tough few months of teaching and other work and personal responsibilities and disappearing for a few months on a deserted beach in southern Thailand with nothing more than a sarong in hand was just what "the doctor" had ordered. So off I went, no blog to report to- only my journal in hand, where I would write for sometimes hours at a time,often contemplating on almost nothing at all...but this just felt right to me and I never questioned it.

And contrary to popular belief, I really do enjoy just being quiet, not speaking sometimes to anyone for a few days at a time. I actually enjoy working on my "demons", writing in my journals about loves lost and loves found, and taking long walks full of quiet contemplation where I truly feel the answers to life lie in the sounds of the waves beckoning me at my feet....For you see, being alone and quiet with myself and my "inner voice" is just what "my doctor" orders for me after many months of "being there" for friends, family, students, clients, etc..It is the Yin and Yang of my life; the expansion and contraction of how I live, breathe, and function on a daily basis. I work hard but then need to play hard. And playing for me sometimes means doing absolutely nothing at all- just watching a beautiful sunset can be the highlight of my day...

Okay, second reason for taking a "blogging break": I didn't really feel I had much to share last year while I was in Thailand as I was beginning to feel this was more of my home now (5th year there) and the daily occurrences of my life didnt seem too "earth-shattering" or exciting to me, let alone for anyone else to have to read about . Sure, I live in a 10x 10 bamboo bungalow 30 yards from the Andaman sea amidst Muslims, Christians, Hindus, as well as tourists from all over the world. And yes, I can see sunsets every night from my hammock and eat thai food for about 2 dollars a day and ride an elephant when I want or have a 7 dollar massage on the beach every day if I choose. And yes, I can hop aboard a plane and be in Bali , Malaysia or Laos in 2 hours and spend a week there taking a cooking class if I want or learn a new spiritual practice from a visiting guru at a mountainside temple. This is just what I did; it was my life for 4 months of every year for the past 5...Of course I was grateful, but there didn't seem any real "novelty" to my life, it is just how I lived...why should I write home about things I did that seemed completely "normal" ?

(Okay, wait a minute here-yes, I really do need to take a pause here-.because as I write this now, I am suddenly and seriously reawakened to the fact that YES, I do indeed lead a very special ,"different", and sometimes "exotic" life and need to NEVER take this for granted nor should I ever feel what I share might bore or offend and if it does, I shouldn't have to apologize for that either- THERE, I said it. last time. onward and upward. )

Okay, in fear of rambling more, I will rap this entry up now.I guess my main point with all this is that my traveling and living in other countries is a lifestyle I have chosen for myself. I don't see this as going on a typical 2-week vacation where you drink every umbrella cocktail in sight, shop in every store till you drop and write "wish you were here" postcards from a poolside laden with dozens of sunburnt tourists. It is instead for me a time and place where I go to rejuvenate, rethink, and rehash things that I need to sort out in my life so I can come back home refreshed, renewed, and resuscitated.

It is a time for me to make new friends , and re-appreciate old ones. It is a time to discover new things about myself and discard the old stuff that no longer serves me. And finally, it is a time for me to be grateful, to live every moment as much as I can in the "here and now".

This is the life I have chosen, and for now, it is still filling my spirit and allowing it to soar. I sense it always will. And if you find what I share is at all inspiring you to get off your couch, save a few dollars and go follow your dreams of visiting and experiencing at least one new culture in your lifetime, then I will know this blog was definitely not written in vain....I look forward to sharing more with you soon, wherever I may be. Welcome aboard.

heading home to a land of hope..

2009-03-15T13:35:00.028-10:00

So it is my last day overseas...for now..

I am here in Bangkok, looking out at an amazing city filled with skyscrapers, temples, pink and yellow taxis, streetside padthai stands, and every culture, race, and creed walking on its street...it is a friendly 'wake-up call' to me for the transition that lies ahead ....

ah, the urban way...I am glad I am not fighting this sudden immersion into city life...

For I know what lies ahead of me is the western world, filled with all its many excesses and consumer-filled and fear-based messages ...I smile now thinking about this as I find it almost surreal now when I come home and turn on the TV, watching the news again, filled with so many horrendous shots of violence, sadness, economic woes...it is always such a shock to me to be suddenly bombarded with so many messages...it makes me so keenly aware of how the psyches of so many people are influenced by this constant babble and noise...

but this is the world we live in...and I am not fighting it anymore...awareness is key...and it certainly inspires me to bring this topic into discussion more often with both my freinds and students...

I am also learning more and more that really the best we can all do on a daily basis is to continue to become the best possible person we can be; to be tolerant, kind and compassionate in our own lives.....

the ripple effect is profound...

I have lived a very peaceful , idyllic life now for 2 1/2 months and I feel quite calm right now- I am not as easily rattled by the randomness of sounds and sights around me..it is a calm I always try to maintain for as long as possible when I get home...I find this is truly one of the greatest gifts I can give myself when I travel...this inner calm is priceless and I will be very protective of it in the next few months..

And yes, my life in a bamboo bungalow by the sea has filled my soul, once again, with peace, quiet, and rejuvenating energy. It allows me to come home now with fresh ideas, new excitement, a few clever insights, and more love and energy to give to all those around me, ...I am ever so grateful for this gift and thank all those around me who have supported me along the way, allowing "me" to be "me", never questioning, always encouraging...

thank you , from the bottom of my heart...

Bali’s beckonings…

2009-03-04T15:06:00.008-10:00

Bali is one of those places where few words really need to be spoken…

Bali speaks to you…and you are forced to listen…if you fight it, you will feel it…your mind and body will take over and your heart and spirit will shut down, become numb.

Historically, Bali was an island where “refugees” came from India ….they were mostly writers, artists, musicians…settling here to live a new life of freedom..with all the benefits that freedom of will and speech provide…

Art oozes here..in every corner, nook,and cranny..from the poorest homes and shabby street side corners, to the most posh of restaurants and hotels…the Balinese have aesthetics down pat…

I believe Bali is truly a place where people come to be still…listen….create …heal…. it is palpable in the air…if you only just pay attention…

yoga centers and health food bars are strewned in every street here- classes in meditation, art, music, philosophy, religion abound… …

one can see this need to grow, expand, actualize in almost every pair of eyes you meet…it is like a secret society of people have come here to graduate with a special diploma to life..they will leave with no documents or grades to show for this experience….only a lightened spirit and an expanded heart….

Right now , I am sitting on my balcony at 8 o’clock on the morning..I am having my daily routine breakfast of pineapple, papaya, and bananas…and a strong cup of Balinese coffee…my ritual in the morning is to come out to this balcony and just look out and listen…

Today it is raining…hard. The sounds of the river below me have been drowned out by the strong hum of raindrops…even the butterflies and dragonflies are taking a break this morning…there is a mist in the air…reminds me of Ireland…so green everywhere…so green….

Bali feels like a mothering cradle that just rocks you gently throughout the day…you may feel you are going to fall out at times, but she is always there to catch you when you think you are…she knows when to be strong, but never shouts back…

The feminine energy here is prevalent; not only from what one feels from walking around in nature but also from what one sees on the streets and in the art….

The women are more often than not the ones I always see carrying the heavy loads of weight on their heads, walking for miles it seems throughout the streets and rice fields....it is amazing what I have seen them carry single-handedly on their shoulders…from huge bushels of rice to porcelains bathtubs (yes, I really did see this)….the Balinese women truly carry the weight of the world on their shoulders but do it with such dignity, pride , grace…never complaining…

I have so much to learn from these people…they say so much with just their eyes, their unconditionally loving smiles, and with their patience…ah, their patience….I have yet to hear any Balinese raising their voice, having a fight, looking upset…it is uncanny…

Their spirit is strong…

It is wonderful, too, how the connection with Obama has surfaced here..I had forgotten the fact that he had gone to school here for a few years when he was a child…that his stepfather was also Indonesian…my first glimpse at a painting of him here literally threw me off guard…in the most wonderful of ways..

their joy at his being president now is so very evident…they consider him one of their own…as we all do…

Hope…this is what I have now…

hope that I never stop learning..
and that I always remain humble in the lessons being taught..
I do not know it all…and never will.

I have hope that more and more people on this planet are waking up…truly waking up…to all the love and light that has been locked up inside of them for so long…for so very long…it is all there…always has been. Sometimes all it takes is to find that special someone or someplace to help you unlock this mystery that you have kept secret …from yourself and from others…

Finally, I have hope that love truly does conquer all..it is all there really is to start with- nothing else…

so many of us just have run so far from home that we have forgotten how to be okay with what we already have…which is a lot…which is huge…

So to Bali , I thank you my great gentle teacher, for patiently holding me, rocking me, watching me unleash yet another unlocked storm…I know there is so much more to go…but I am ever so grateful you have reminded me of the importance of just being still…and to listen..and look…and go inside….

for all the answers are already there.

Until next time…

Pop gon mai, ka…"see you later " ...goodbye to ko lanta..

2009-02-27T00:44:00.014-10:00

So after 7 weeks of living a near perfect lifestyle here, I am packing my bags for Bali and saying good bye to Ko Lanta… for now..

My last day here was spent riding on my beloved motorbike up and down this most amazing 30 km coastline, dotted with some of the most spectacular beaches and scenery I have ever scene anywhere in my lifelong journey around this planet. I intentionally took my camera for this ride, wanting to try and capture what I have been seeing now for the past few weeks.

( the local gas station- a most welcome spot when you are low on gas- one learns to spot these plastic orange bottles from a great distance ! a full tank costs about 2 US $ ! )

I was very conscious of every corner I turned today, every beautiful moment I saw from my ride. I have taken this ride probably close to 50-60 times in just the past year alone but I am always amazed how every time I ride this coastline, it feels like it is for the first time. I always have a smile on my face-, my spirit soars,… the sense of beauty and freedom is overwhelming…

From passing the many temples and hearing the hauntingly beautiful calls to worship throughout the day…

To seeing all the many fanciful beachside bars and bungalows, all decorated with lanterns, “fairy lights”, fire dancers, and the friendly local people….

I am always at a loss for words to the beauty that constantly unfolds before me here…

Tonight, I gathered friends for a small farewell party and was once again reminded how wonderful it is to have a history with people when you travel..it is great to feel friendships deepen and strengthen over time..this is the one of the greatest benefits of actually staying in one place for awhile- you are not a tourist, but a more of a transplanted local.- who lives off the beaten path, eats the local foods, laughs and plays with the neighborhood kids, and gets caught up on the all the neighborhood gossip..

this need to spend quality time with friends has been a big priority for me this time around…I just didn’t want to be “another smiling face” that just pops in for a few weeks every year ; I wanted people to get to know me as much I as wanted to connect and deepen my connection with them…I feel this mission has been accomplished…I am happy for this.

(Tew, my bungalow manager, and me right before I left..we have become good freinds over the years now...)

There is also the amazing joy of always meeting new friends when you are on the road..the kind of friends you just know will be lifelong connections…it is that instant “aha” feeling you have when you have a first conversation- the bond is instant.- the friendship, a lifelong journey to be shared…

So I leave Lanta tomorrow, fully satisfied for all the quality time I have given myself and to others here…I am incredibly grateful , as always, for the amount of quiet time I have had to think, reflect, write, walk, swim, work-out, sing, dance, draw, listen and play music, and basically rejuvenate a spirit that often gets a bit tired , stressed and emptied when I am in the throes of working hard back home…

(my bungalow, my home for 7 weeks- )

So to Ko Lanta, I deeply bow to you…my respect and reverence to you is a lifelong affair I will never tire of….you wrap me up gently in your arms as only a most compassionate and caring mother would…letting me weep when I needed to, letting me laugh when the urge surfaced, and most importantly, allowing and encouraging me to always live my life as authentically as I have always dreamt was possible.

For this, I will be forever indebted…

Khop Khun Mak Ka….

Thank you, very much…

children..

2009-02-19T04:26:00.007-10:00

....they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music.

..they ask questions that a wise man cannot often answer...

...they make you want to start life over again...

I am blessed to be surrounded daily by such beings of lightness...

thank you, I never stop learning from you all..

temple of fatal laffs...

2009-02-17T14:33:00.004-10:00

what a way to go..

wherever you go, there you are...

2009-02-17T02:26:00.007-10:00

No matter what the backdrop, your mind follows you…you can run and you can hide, but sooner or later you have to meet your mind, make peace with its thoughts, realize it has mostly old chatter that has fueled your ego for years, and then try to do everything in your power to just let it all go...

So never doubt for a moment, that just because I am living this seemingly idyllic life, that, I, too don’t sometimes have a sad day, a blue day, a day with a bit of irritation, confusion, no energy to be strong, to be wise, to give…my mind is still playing games with me, too..

For we are all human beings afterall, and have all been given life lessons to work on , whether we are living peacefully in Fiji or fighting commuter traffic in Frankfurt… the lessons will always surface…until we finally learn them , let go what we need to , and move on…

“It's not that we're human beings trying to have a spiritual experience, but rather we're spiritual beings having a human experience.”

I remind myself of this every day…

Here’s to our "humanness" and to being an ever-expanding presence on this most excellent adventure...

“Is this a time to be cloudy and sad,

2009-02-16T02:44:00.004-10:00

When our mother Nature laughs around;

When even the deep blue heavens look glad,

And gladness breathes from the blossoming ground?”

thank you , mother nature.....

you continue to take my breath away...

by the light of the silvery moon...

2009-02-09T21:00:00.008-10:00

Celebrating the full moon takes on somewhat epic proportions here in Thailand. The island of Ko Phangan is known throughout the world for its rave parties on the beach with anywhere upwards to 5-6,000 people scrambling for dance space on the beaches of Hat Rin. www.fullmoon.phangan.info

The island of Ko Lanta , however, takes a bit more mellow approach to this celebration but it is a celebration nevertheless...

there is something to be said for being near the ocean, under a brightly lit sky, listening to music, dancing with freinds, watching fire dancers do their thing in a semi-ecstatic state to the hard primal rhythms of techno and house... .

and to share in these sort of celebrations with freinds whom you have a bit of history with makes the occasion all the more special...

hope you all had a chance to do a little howling..

you know you are having a good day when..

2009-02-09T00:23:00.006-10:00

you get a flat tire right directly in front of a motorbike/tire repair shop !

and the strange thing is, is that I was sensing something was wrong with my tire for a few days now and had been stopping and checking every few hours but everything seemed just fine (a strong hunch/premonition perhaps ?)

I even had the thought in my head that "hmm...so strange that I have never gotten a flat tire with all the riding that I have done here in the past few years..and how frustrating it would be to get one out in the middle of nowhere here.."

This thought had been heavily in my mind all week...

So when I heard a loud "snap, crackle, and POP" coming out from below my bike today and saw a long strip of rubber dragging out from behind my back wheel, I knew almost immediately what had just happened...and as I looked up to the left of me, lo and behold was a tire repair shop just a few feet away from me...and yes, a handful of mechanics and local shop owners were calmly sitting there, just smiling and laughing at my 'good fortune'...I even joked with them that they purposely put nails on the road in front of their shop just to get business !..(.I think they got my joke...)

so be careful what you think (as thoughts often come true) but also be so very thankful when synchronicity is working at its finest and you know you are exactly at the right place at the right time.....

ah, oh yes, my motorbike's license plate is #7, that's it-..my lucky number...always has been, always will be ...

Butterflies are free..

2009-02-07T06:30:00.004-10:00

and so are you, Mom...

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you......

You are missed, loved, and will never be forgotten...

fly free...

and let all the people say "Amen"....

2009-01-30T02:44:00.009-10:00

According to the Webster dictionary, the word “amen” is an expression used at the end of prayers, and means:” So be it”.

At the end of a creed, it is a solemn asseveration of belief. When it introduces a declaration, it is equivalent to "truly, verily."

Another definition of the word says it is an expression “to approve warmly, to concur in heartily or emphatically; to ratify; as,
"I say Amen to all !" "

Lastly, I found an “esoteric” definition of Amen which means "who brings forth the hidden forms of things, the eternal workman, embodying the primitive ideas, is Wisdom,the author of being, the source of all life ... Goodness.”

Today the word "Amen "came in the form of a 5-year old Muslim boy at the foot of my balcony …A bit shy at first, Amen looked at me for a few moments as I sat and had my usual morning cup of coffee.

He has walked by my bungalow at this time for weeks now but has never stopped…until this morning..

Amen just stopped dead in his tracks this time, looked up at me , a bit seriously at first and within seconds he was smiling and making silly poses for me. And then, without a moment's notice, he proceeded to walk right up to my balcony, and made his way calmly into my little plastic white chair.

He then proceeded to carry on a conversation with me, all in Thai.

We didn’t know much of each other’s language (at all) but for the next 20 minutes, I laughed and loved from the very bottom of my gut with this most beautiful and playful young child. We hugged, gave each other high-five’s, took pictures of each other and just giggled a heck of a lot…Amen also seemed to have a particular affection for sitting upside down in chairs and talking at the same time..he didnt even blink a second as he just slid with his head over the edge of the plastic white seat and proceeded to talk to me, as if there was nothing wierd or strange about what he was doing.

I even showed Amen the pictures and video clip I took of him. He was absolutely fascinated . I think this may have been the very first time he has seen himself on film. What a wonderful moment to be a witness of.

Amen continued to walk right into my bungalow, had a look around, picked up some things off my floor and even was courteous enough to gently close my closet door with a special wooden latch I had never taken notice of before.

And then, without a word, he quietly walked out my door, waved good-bye , and strolled away, back to his little wooden home down the little dirt path to his wonderful little world of being a five-year old kid.

You, my dear open-hearted child, is what goodness to me is all about..

Amen…

a dedication to mother nature..

2009-01-29T05:18:00.004-10:00

I have just spent the past 5 days in one of the most beautiful parts of this planet- the area around Aonang and Railay beach continues to take my breath away year after year. It always seems like a dream when I return here. And even though the beaches are dotted with dozens of tourists, my eyes, ears, and spirit always seem to soar right up to the most awe-inspiring masses of rock in the distance...

mother nature is awesome....let's keep taking care of her.

the magic of a smile..

2009-01-29T04:49:00.006-10:00

One can never be reminded enough of the power and innocence of a true smile...a smile from the gut, whether taken off guard or a bit posed..it is our way of shining our inside light to the outside world...

here are just some of the beautiful smiles I have come across in just the past 24 hours from both locals and "farangs" alike...

thinking of you...

from the official "land of smiles"..

a feast for the eyes...

2009-01-26T18:35:00.011-10:00

With chinese new years , a solar eclipse and my being in a amazingly well-lit town, I thought I would just take a moment to share with you the many "light-filled" sights I have seen in just the past 24 here in Aonang. Both Mother Nature and General Electric compete for my attention here as I meander the streets of this tourist-laden town.

enjoy ..... and "Guey Hay Fat Choy!"

Outside the norm...

2009-01-26T16:54:00.011-10:00

So I decided to help out my friends Lee and Kate and do some television “presenting” for our local Krabi TV channel. It is a bit like the travel channel for the Thai people here , runs 22 hours a day (!), and has a viewership of around 30,000 people in Thailand. I thought this was a good chance for me to get out of my normal bungalow “cha cha ”(slow, slow) routine and do something fun and creative for a few days , work with great people, meet some of the local thais, and get a chance to do some of my own photo shooting as well.

We are in the town of Aonang right now…a big tourist spot for many westerners here in Thailand. Most carry on to the infamous beaches of Tonsai and Railay from here to do some world class rock-climbing .

I feel very far from my simple life on Lanta, yet, I am only 2 hours away. There are neon lights everywhere, fast food chains that line the main streets, supermarkets larger than 7-11’s and tailors everywhere asking me if I would like a new silk dress.

Yet I don’t feel offended or sad this time around. I have been here several times before and I have now come to peace with this “thing” called “western expansion”. People find and need comfort knowing they have a clean room with a TV, an air-conditioner, and a good burger available to eat at a moment’s notice. This is how so much of the traveling world now operates and though I am not like this average traveler, I know that these people are there .

My acceptance of the western world's presence here has more easily come about in recent months. I know that the locals are benefitting financially by this expansion and there is no one begging for food or spare change here; everyone seems generally happy..this is a good thing, compared to many other parts of this world that I have been to.

My only concern is that the making of the "almighty dollar" will overtake the true gift of connection and serving others. When greed takes over, and one's ulterior motive is just about making a profit, this will be the end of true cultural exchange.

This hasn’t happened too much yet here. I have seen nothing but sincere smiles being shared and plenty of “sawatdee ka’s” to fill any cynic’s heart with a bit of good will and trust.

So as I spend my next few days here, reviewing restaurants, hotels, and local sites, I am keeping in mind that everyone needs and wants to feel appreciated. And with this in mind, I extend my hand and smile whenever possible and find I receive the most priceless souvenir in return: kindness.

Have a nice day…

Gratitude...

2009-01-24T03:06:00.006-10:00

We all have seen hundreds of sunsets in our lives, each and every one different.

Our state of mind also varies when we are witnessing such an event. Sometimes, we wish we were somewhere else, with someone else, in another place , maybe even another time. We may be happy, sad, angry,pensive, or getting over a lost love...the experience is never quite the same..ever..

a sunset also gives us permission to just "be"...that most beautiful gift where we feel, for even just an instant, there are no judges or critics watching us, waiting to bring us down, if only for a moment...

for others , a sunset marks the end of a long work day and the permission for the evening cicades to crow their evening call...

yet still, for others, it can also mean the end of a life for someone they love, whose time here on this planet has been taken away (once again) all too soon...

Tonight's sunset for me here in Ko Lanta marked a moment of sheer gratitude of being able to be absolutely "in the moment" , taking in this most spectacular light show from mother nature. It is always humbling for me to be a witness to such an event ; it is also such an important reminder to me of how quickly the sun will go down again in just 24 hours...and what we do between those sunsets marks the chain of those often bittersweet memories we call...

life...

here's to many more sunsets filled with love, gratitude, and appreciation..

the dawning of a new day..

2009-01-21T12:06:00.015-10:00

Okay, I cant keep quiet anymore…I have resisted writing in this blog for long enough ! Some may call it being lazy..I call it just enjoying life a bit by living moment to moment ..Just haven't been feeling a real strong urge to share too much...I guess I just needed to be still for awhile, be quiet, decompress a bit..

But the moments are beginning to add up as are my desires to share some of these moments with you.... For me, it is so much more about the people I meet here,each and every one of them with his/her own amazing life story.

I want to share with you what makes me so happy here, why I wake up every morning with a smile on my face and why I go to sleep at night with a sense of peace and deep calm...I feel at home here...my spirit soars here, my mind calms down here...

I also am not a tourist here in Thailand anymore- at least I dont feel this way …This is my 7th time in this country and my visits here have now totalled close to a year’s worth of visits…I dont walk around all day with a camera in tow (though I have found my cellphone camera to be quite handy at times..)

From most people’s perspecitive, however, I am “on holiday”....and yes, it does feel at times , that life is very relaxing with little stress..."sabai, sabai," they say here...happy, happy...

But I do work here and thank my lucky stars that I have figured out a way to make a bit of money while I am here by teaching my university classes via my lil ol trusty Mac...lucky me, yes indeed...my office comes in the form of a 13x8 screen with a good WiFi card.

So this morning I woke up and felt different- the urge to write and share was strong- my hesitations of "putting it out there" finally waned…. and here I am…hoping that what I share here may inspire a few of you to pack up a bag and take off for awhile as well...

"just do it", I say..time goes fast...don't live life with any resentments of "what could have, should have, might of.."..

So yes, I am once again living the good and simple life here on one of my favorite islands here in Southern Thailand: Ko Lanta. It was great to be immediately recognized by a few of the locals when I arrived at Krabi airport , where I began to make my way to my little 12x12 bungalow here on this tropical island in the middle of the Andaman sea..…and to catch up with friends here , both local and visitors alike, has been wonderful. There is something to be said for having a history with a place, with people…

celebrating Inauguration night with fellow American freinds

view from my bungalow

me a my wonderful freind Kate, who is off to London in a couple of weeks to work on the next Harry Potter film !

My early morning routine pretty much consists of the following :

I wake up, look out my small bungalow window, take a moment to feel gratitude for the beauty around me, think about what I have to do for the day, look at my calendar and remind myself of anyone’s birthday I need to acknowledge somewhere in the world. I then check my email, write back to my students, correct papers, correspond with friends and family, make sure my online classes are in order…and then , I finally get out of bed..,

my daily ritual of making my first cup of coffee is something I now look forward to..The coffee is instant , mind you , but when all you have is a hot water boiler as your kitchen, this seemingly mundane task and drink takes on a much more luxurious tone…. I then sit out on my little wooden balcony with my steaming small porcelain mug, on my little plastic white chair with my little plastic green table and listen to the roosters cock-a -doodle -do their way through the early morning hours .I sit there for at least 20-30 minutes, quiet in thought, not saying much except for the occasional “sawatdee ka” to the local workers and children who pass my bungalow every morning on their way to start their day…

I purposely don’t have a camera with me at this time, even though what I see is so beautiful and wonderfully “thai” in so many ways…I just don’t want to break the moment or make the locals feel they are “on parade” – it just would seem like a rude intrusion to their daily ritual- afterall, I am living in their home, not the other way around….So instead, I just sit there in this quiet moment, reminding myself of where I am, what country and culture I am living in and , of course, telling myself, once again, how lucky I feel to have finally gotten this life lesson that “less is truly more”.

So with the dawning of a new era, a new president, a new sense of hope and a feeling that we all have been given permission to start anew again, I start my blog … again,,,,,with new thoughts, new insights, new friends, new places, and new dreams ...and the hope that we can all travel freely and peacefully throughout this most awesome planet..

Happy new year…

What I have learned....

2008-04-26T21:36:00.016-10:00

So I have been home now for almost a week….and I have felt a bit reluctant until now to write any sort of “final entry” for this journey…perhaps its because a part of me never wants to feel that my journey is ever over and that once I write this, I might suddenly become sad and disillusioned because I am no longer “away” and the reality of being home will suddenly come crashing down on me..

But what is probably more realistically the case is that it has been so long since I last wrote an entry (over a month) and I don’t seem to have the energy or plain old ability right now to try and recap all that I have experienced since then; I guess there is a lot to be said for living each day to the fullest and sometimes it is just best to “be there” in the moment instead of always trying to be the storyteller after the moment is gone..

(a grandmother watches her daughter and grandchildren go off to school.There were lots of tears and hugs before this moment tookplace.I was in a bus at the time, leaving Hanoi, Vietnam.)

(Inside the infamous Fern Grotto at Halong Bay, Vietnam)

So that is ,in fact, how I have been living for the past month-just being in the moment and enjoying qualtiy moments day by day.. I returned to Thailand for 3 more weeks after an amazing month in Vietnam and revisited friends on both Ko Lanta and Ko Phangan, two of my favorite islands that I now consider a second home. I spent many nights laughing and catching up with what seem like old friends-a very nice feeling indeed and a reminder to me of how I must always come back to this part of the world to say hello. And it seems this time around I just laughed and smiled SO much with these wonderful people I feel blessed to now call freinds.

(my wonderful Swedish friends on Ko Lanta who now feel like family to me.)

(Me and my wonderful freind Jacquie (England) who I have now met up with in Thailand 3 years in a row ! )

(My freinds Gee(France),San (Thailand),and Jerry (USA) at a "farewell" dinner for me on my last night in Ko Lanta.)

(Me and my wonderful newfound freind Kate, from England. She is an amazingly talented painter and jewelry maker and is a much sought after costume designer for professional theater in London.)

(A scrumptious breakfast by the beach with my wonderful girlfreinds on the island of Ko Phangan.Many had just finished a grueling 2 hour yoga class and were all smiles that food and rest awaited them!)

Returning to Thailand after being gone a couple of months was also a great reminder to me of the many things I first fell in love with Thailand when I first traveled there over 8 years ago. There is a softness in the people and culture that I grew to reappreciate and the ease that I had in communicating with the locals was such a renewed blessing, especially after having just been in Vietnam for a month,where it seemed like almost a constant daily struggle to communicate with the locals in English or with any sort of non verbal communication,for that matter…there is not anger with this fact- it was just a frustration that I had to deal with daily for over a month.

Luckily, with pateince and persistence, I was able to form some wonderful new freindships. The young vietnamese girl in the picture below has already insisted that I make it to her wedding next year! And I will definitely try and be there, fingers crossed!

My Vietnamese freinds Anh and Hung were my official tailors in the city of Hoi An-a city famous worldwide for very inexpensive ,high-quality tailormade clothing. I couldnt pass up the opportunity to feel a bit "like a princess" for an hour or so as I was fitted into a few pieces of clothing that I will be wearing for many years to come-all for around 70 USD !

So after 3 weeks of blissful beach and play time both on my own and with friends, I return now to Honolulu with a renewed sense of purpose and an awareness about life or what I feel life is all about…at least for me.

It is great to be back, of course, and to have all the luxuries such as hot water and wondefully paved roads return to my life again ! And my cat Kukla is just SO happy to see me; she has followed me everywhere from the moment I have walked in the door.

The other day I had lunch with a friend and after a half hour or so of him sharing all his news with me,he suddenly stopped and said “So, you are back. What have you learned ?”

The question took me for a “bit of a loop” at first for I had literally written 100’s of pages of observations and thoughts into my trusty lil ol laptop since I left over 4 ½ months ago. And I just didn’t really know where to begin; it was like I was suddenly being pressured to be the “wise sage” in 60 seconds or less….and I didn’t like this pressure nor do I usually respond very clearly when under this sort of pressure;

Almost 5 months of life-transforming experiences cannot be summarized in a minute or an hour, or even a day…no novel, blog entry, photo album, story-telling session, or conversation will ever really be able to accurately share all that I have seen, learned and experienced these past few months. And I knew this….. and I know this will always be the case when I come “home”.

So my visceral reaction to my friend’s question was to just say what came to the top of my head:
“I come home being more grateful”,
“less is still truly more”
“don’t sweat the small stuff”
“I am happiest around playful children”,
“Live life simply”,

etc., etc…

I seemed to have garbled out a few more seemingly profound thoughts (at least to me), but as I looked into my friends eyes, it seemed I had already lost him….completely…..So I stopped. Just stopped. And tactfully changed the subject back to him.

I know almost immediately now when someone is not really listening or really cares what I have to say. I don’t say this with anger nor do I take these sort of moments personally (anymore). I am just grateful to have this awareness now and to be wise enough to know when to stop.

Life is too short to expend energy where it is not being reciprocated.

So from now on, when someone asks me this question, “what have I learned”, I am going to calmly respond, with a smile, “I have learned that I have a lot more to learn”….unless, of course, they really want to hear more..

for with every trip I take, no matter how near or far, I always come home with a renewed love and appreciation of being an observer- a “student of life” if you will….and that I do seem to learn most when I am quiet and still and watching…and listening…to everything going on both outside and inside of me.

And that my ‘life journey’ certainly doesn’t end every time I come ‘home’….for I do all I can to live my life here with this renewed sense of awareness and energy…..and I practice being still and quiet as much as possible- a definite challenge , of course, in a world that still places so much more value on “what you do” instead of on “who you are”.

So I say good-bye for now and thank those of you ,from the bottom of my heart, who have so faithfully kept up with my journeys and stories while I was away. Your many words of support and kindness have been most inspirational to me and have kept you near in my thoughts. Thank you.

I would like to end now by sharing with you a few notes I made a couple of weeks ago about what I felt to be a few secrets to happiness in my life. People often told me while I was traveling that I was “always smiling” when they saw me and one night I just sat with my computer and decided to actually write down those few things that helped keep me smiling consistenly on a day to day basis. I hope a few of these thoughts will help bring more smiles to your life as well.

Be Grateful….wake up every day giving thanks for something…anything. Go to sleep at night with these same thoughts….Your life will seem so much more full.

Be “Great-full”….be the best person you can possibly be..fill the world with your greatness…it is in all of us…this is why we are here.

Love everyone and everything…as much as possible…your heart will thank you and so will the world.

Spend time with children-they remind you of who you are and where you came from.

Talk to nature and listen. You will learn a lot.

Listen to animals while looking in their eyes.They have a lot to say.

Live your life passionately- become the screenwriter of your own life’s script- anything is possible….and what a great gift to leave after you go.

Stop worrying…This means you are living in the future…
and not in the “present”…remember, it is a gift to be here…..now.

Treasure your friends and family-they are the real riches in your life. No fancy car or home will ever fill your heart as much as the sound of a best friend or family member’s voice telling you that they love you.

And last but not least…(this is my favorite insight for myself)…

LAUGH….a lot……you only get one shot at this thing called “life”…..don’t take yourself so seriously…you’ll be “gone” before you know it…and lord knows, we all just look a heck of a lot better when we’re smiling…

so until next time…be well, travel safe, and never underestimate the power of your smile…

melina ☺

A portrait of peace...

2008-03-23T18:05:00.006-10:00

(Hoi An, Vietnam)

So I am now in the central region of Vietnam…just miles away from the once official border between “North and South”….it is wonderful to be here at last….I have only tried to imagine what it must have felt like for these people to be have been trapped between their own countrymen, living innocently in a war torn border, just a little over 30 years ago…

I have seen remnants of barracks, airplane hangars , and the occasional army jeep along the barren highways to this now tourist-laden region…but nothing more…just smiles , kind gestures from shop owners, peace signs from the children, and yes, the occasional ‘war souvenir stand’ stocked with camouflaged hats and T-shirts---

I have always found it a bit strange how a war can intrigue and entice people to buy war memorabilia- I respect this intrigue but personally have no interest in this type of souvenir. The stories , pictures and people I have read, seen, and met here have forever changed and deepened my insight of this country….no war memorabilia could ever replace this for me…

This city of Hoi An personifies charm..there are sections of the city where only walkers and bicycles are allowed...there are small narrow coobled stone streets filled with dozens of cafes and art galleries....and plenty of historical museums and homes to satiate any tourist's appetitie...the chinese influence here is also very apparent and a reminder to me of how close I now am to the Chinese border..

I have nicknamed Hoi Anthe “city of lights” as when the sun goes down here, hundreds of latterns scattered throughout this entire city all turn on- all at once, or so it seems…It is an amazing transformation..- like being in a field of fireflies, with lights sparkling in every color of the rainbow that suddenly surround you with every corner you turn….and it is quiet ..so one can really be still and watch and just taken in this amazing feast for the eyes….

I have also been amazed how I have seen just constant coastline of amazing beaches all along the eastern coast of Vietnam…I have now traveled about 1200km up the coast and there has not been a spot yet where I have not seen long stretches of wide white sandy beaches..it is a Vietnam I believe few people know about..but I do believe this is going to quickly change as I do see and feel very clear signs that Vietnam is going to be a huge contender in the tourist market in the very near future..it is both exciting and a bit sad for me to see this..I want to see these people flourish economically yet I am always abit saddened to see so much of our earth’s pristine environment be once again pillaged by cranes and drills and replaced with barren concrete structures…..alas, this is what we call “progress”…and there doesn’t seem to be much stopping of it…

But once again, I am thankful to be here when I am…to be able to see so much beauty from both the environment and its people….I will be forever grateful for the kindness I have been shown and for the insights that I have been shared. Communism is now not such a scary word or concept for me …. for communism and the people who follow this form of governing are not the ‘enemy’…; it is only what people do with power-any sort of power- that is actually dangerous and is what we should really fear…

For people are people......everywhere….all one has to do is look into the eyes of a smiling child or into the peaceful face of a resting man or woman and be reminded of this all too important fact.

and with these encounters of smiling faces comes the sincere and fervent hope of a tomorrow full of tolerance, understanding, and peace.

This is my hope. This is my dream...

Sand dunes, the sun, and smiles..oh my..

2008-03-14T02:02:00.005-10:00

(Mui Ne, Vietnam)

I am in heaven again..truly this place is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen or been to in my life. The magnificence of the coastline here literally took my breath away today as I rode about 60 kilometers out to the Giant White Sand dunes known to locals as only Bau Tran, the driest geological “spot” in all of Asia.

my trust "motorbike" that took me along a most beautiful and incredibly windy 120 km ride today ! woohooo !!

My childhood memories of white sand dunes takes me quickly to the sandy shores of Itapoa in Bahia, Brazil. Many a family picnic was had there and it still feels like yesterday that I was lying under a pinetree taking in an afternoon nap (or at least making a weak attempt at one) after a big meal of feijoada (rice and beans) absorbing all I could of the amazing powdery white scenery around me.

a local bride and groom braved the hot desert winds for their wedding photo shoot. Supposedly, these dunes are one of the most photgraphed spots in all of Vietnam and many a fashion and wedding photographer has been here.

So when I arrived today at the dunes, I just felt like a big kid again, only this time there was no nap to be had- just a lot of climbing in the hot desert sun…

I seriously could not stop smiling the entire time I was running up and down these amazing huge mountains of the most powdery white sand I have ever seen. I was determined to also have a go at “sand sledding” since I had read in the guide books that “this was THE thing to do” here….so after driving a hard bargain with a very feisty 10-year-old ‘sled’ salesman (talked him down to a dollar), I had my plastic blue sled in hand and began the long walk up the dunes…Lawrence of Arabia, eat your heart out !…

I cannot really imagine what it must be like for desert dwellers to live in such harsh conditions all their lives..the sun is blinding, the wind never stops howling, and even after only a short time, my sight became a bit blurry as I tried to decipher edges, cliffs, and slopes around me…everything just seemed to blend into one big graceful and most beautiful mountain of…SAND…it was a novelty for me, of course, but I have gained a heightened appreciation for all our fellow human beings who sustain this existence day in and day out for years at a time in the many desert regions around the world.

My sand-sledding experience was short and sweet…one would think that so much momentum would be built on such altitudes but alas, the sand is so incredibly soft here that I think the weight of a ten year old child is probably the maximum weight where one actually can gain some momentum and speed ! Nevertheless, I had a great big laugh as I slowly but surely plodded down my sandy slope…but now am thinking in hindsight, that I should have gone down head first … next time..there is always a next time…

me and my trusty blue sled..I was a kid again !!

a picture of me at the bottom of the dune I just sledded down- just to give you an idea how big these dunes weree !

Mui Ne is also the capital of wind-surfing and kite-surfing in all of Asia so every morning and afternoon I am welcomed on the beach by a cornucopia of bright colored sails and well-toned surfers in their state-of-the-art equipment scattered both in the sand and sea. It is amazing to me still to watch what man is capable of doing in and above the water; what one must feel when he/she is defying gravity is a feeling I can only imagine right now by watching these most agile and talented athletes. It is also nice to see all this water activity going on around me again as it does remind me a great deal of being back in Hawaii..a nice feeling to have as I near the end of my r month trip (4 ½ weeks to go…)…

this is the view right outside of where I am staying..a most beautiful spectacle indeed !

me and my new found friend Didier, who travels the world teaching kite-surfing- something he loves to do with great passion!

My plans right now are to stay here for a few more days, get my classes taught and get caught up on some school work…I also want to visit a nearby orphanage and will probably help out there for at least a couple of days playing with the children and bringing what supplies are needed such as notebooks and toys….I am realizing more and more on this trip how much joy being around children brings me and can see me integrating time with children much more in my future travels… their smiles and laughter have been given to me so freely these past few weeks…this has been by far the greatest gift I have received while being on this journey…

a local cemetary I passed on my ride..the symbols on the graves ar enot swastikas but are of Hindu origins..

hope you enjoy the pics of this most magical and marvelous place on Vietnam…it has opened up my eyes to so much more natural beauty that I just did not know existed here in this part of the world. I sincerely hope you can make it out here one day as well. Just look for me in the sand dunes..I’ll be the one perfecting her sand-sledding going head down first ..:)

me and a couple of new found freinds, one from London, the other from Scotland..we "shared" a 6 hour bus ride form Saigon to hear and were instant freinds !

sorry, but I had to include this pic that I saw during my ride today ! I guess times are tough for poor Britney Spears ! She is now here in Vietnam making 5 bucks an hour doing massage..
(funniest darn sign I have seen in a long time !! and if you look closely, the girl above her is blowing a Mac apple ! hmmm..can we say copyright infringement anyone ?!!)

hope you are well….

melina ☺

Saigon smiles...and tears..

2008-03-12T17:53:00.009-10:00

I spent a very brief time in Saigon…just a couple of nights and a full day as I made my way enroute from the westernmost island of Phu Quoc to the eastern shores of Mui Ne. However, in such a short time, I experienced so much…it was a day full of much contrast.

My morning began with an hour walk through the city on my way to the 'War Remnant's museum. I left my hotel already in a bit of a somber mood, knowing full well that I was going to see pictures and read stories from the Vietnam War that would most likely move me to many tears.

But what a wonderful surprise I stumbled upon enroute…As I was walking through the center park of the city, I began to hear children singing and playing in the distance. Little did I know what I was about to walk into- a MASSIVE celebration of “national woman’s day” with hundreds of little girls all dressed up in costume singing, dancing, playing, and just being little girls.

Families were also there picnicking, playing with children, and dozens of what looked like boy scout and girls scout troops were also scattered throughout the park, playing music and an assortment of games. I could not stop smiling the entire time I was there,watching all these most beautiful children just beaming with energy throughout this wondefully green and lush park. I was mesmerized…and could not believe I was the only non-Vietnamese in the whole darn park ! (how could I be so darn lucky ?!)…

what a spectacular moment it was to just be the observer and be completely smitten by all the playfulness and joy these children were showing….we as adults should all be so wonderfully reminded on a daily basis to play with such abandonment of worries…

The shock of me walking into the War Museeum an hour later came, of course, as even more of a shock for me after having just been in the midst of so many smiling Vietnamese children and families ….and to walk immediatley into the museum and literally be blasted with some of the most devastating shots of Vietnamese children affected by Agent Orange (and other war atrocities) literally just moved me to uncontrollable tears within the first minute of my being there.

Of course, it didn’t stop there..the museum presented a most gripping and thorough account of so many moments during the Vietnam war, including actual stories and pictures from many of the soldiers and journalists who died there in battle. Without saying much more, it was a day that forever changed my life and firmly cemented my belief that anyone who is either fighting or living in the midst of a war experiences a true living hell on earth.

to see this infamous picture in its original state stopped me in my tracks...

This is a 1974 picture of Hawaii war protesters..shot taken in Honollulu...amazing feeling to be seeing a picture of "home" all the way here..

one of many "peace posters" displayed in the museum..this one was from Australia...

images of Ho Chi Minh (the leader of the Communicst Viet Cong) were still seen everywhere in Saigon, making me of course wonder if there was still a great deal of Communist supporters in the city..

And as I sat in a bar on a Saigon street corner later that night, I could not help but think what it must have been like just a little over 35 years ago to be here and seeing all the American GI’s roaming the very same streets , perhaps sitting in this very same street corner, and seeing a very different look in the faces of the Vietnamese people around them. It seemed almost surreal to me as I sat and watch this peaceful street scene, knowing full well that so much of this city and country was under constant fire for so many years (I have read that a bomb dropped in Vietnam every 8 minutes throughout the war )

But the Vietnames seem to live in peace now or so it seems. I am not quite sure who really won the war as it still seems very unclear not only to me but to many I spoke to around me as well. But one thing seems to be for sure… The Vietnamese people have moved on and seem to be now carrying on with great determination and focus in their daily lives…

Once again, the amazing perseverance of the human spirit is evidenced… and I am , once again, most definitely humbled…

keep praying for peace.....

the mystique and magic...of the Mekong ( Cambodia to Vietnam)

2008-03-04T00:53:00.008-10:00

It is rare that I have ever felt so far from the Western world. It seems that no matter where I have been before in my life, there was always a street sign I could read, a familiar brand of food to be bought, and a familiar word or two that could be shared….

But alas, I have arrived in Vietnam and as much as one would think and expect that English would be the common language here , it is just not the case .….(but , alas, there is still the occasional Coca Cola bottle stand and accompanying smiles wherever I have gone thus far so I guess I am not THAT far from my “familiar” world..)

The experience of traveling down the mighty Mekong River from Cambodia to Vietnam will be an experience I will not soon forget. Once again, pictures do only half the justice of the most surreal and magical moments I had traveling down this awesome river.

What struck me more than anything was the amount of love and attention that was shown to all of us aboard our little riverboat as we passed each village or riverboat. There was not a child we passed in our 4 hour journey who did not wave to us with all of his/her might, no matter how far away he/she was…Oftentimes, I could hear the sounds of “hello” resonating in the distant shores, no seeing where it was coming from but always knowing it was a young child wanting to connect in his or her own special way.

Some of the local children were in the river bathing and playing as children do…, others were helping their family with the carrying of rice into the hillsides and beyond; others still were in fishing boats passing us by, taking home their “catch of the day” to feed them and their families….

And one point, my heart literally felt like it just burst and tears just came streaming non-stop down my face…the love that I was feeling was oh so obvious….and it was being given absolutely unconditionally…a most beautiful feeling, indeed.

The tranquility of the what I saw also left a most lasting impression. I saw the most basic of homes I have ever seen in my life yet the smiles that I saw emanating from these homes gave me a most strong impression that these people were happy. Poor (according to western “standards”), but certainly at peace with their lives.

To finally cross the border into Vietnam was also another experience I wont soon forget. We had to leave our trusty little river boat with all of our luggage in tow, trapse across a rocky hillside for several minutes (not really being told what we were doing or where we were going),cross a supposed border marked only by a barb wire fence (always an eerie image for me) and then was “hoarded” into a “holding area” while immigration (marked by unsmiling men in military looking uniforms) checked all our passports and luggage. For a startling moment or two, I suddenly went back about 35 years and had a quick glimpse of what it must have felt like for these people to be constantly “watched” by the US in similar man-made “holding areas…an amazingly startling moment I wont soon forget.

And the noise…ah, the noise…I had read about how noisy Vietnam was in many of the guidebooks was but I really had no idea or expectation of how high the decibel level would be until I (mistakingly) arrived in the Mekong town of Chau Doc. The nonstop sounds of motorcycles, car horns, people talking loudly, bicycles ringing bells, and the seemingly never-ending announcements that were being made on traveling loudspeakers atop small cars and trucks greeted me immediately upon stepping off my quiet little riverboat.

One of the “rudest” awakening I had in this small town was at about 5 o’clock in the morning when some loud nationalistic announcement was being made seemingly right outside my guesthouse window…(my first thought was, “do people march at this early hour of the morning?”)…and luck would have it, there was a power outage in the town about an hour later and suddenly the sounds of generators throughout the city added to the cacophonous symphony of sounds that already were part of the aural tapestry of the city. All I can say is thank goodness for a good pair of earplugs….:)

So I have now ‘escaped’ Chau Doc and the loud city noises for a few days but not without a price….After being told I was to be transported to the ferry boat in a nice 45 seater air-conditioned bus, I was greeted at 6:30 am by a a very small, somewhat “beaten up” looking van that already had 10 not- -very-happy looking western tourists inside. Little did I know that we were to pick up 4 more people along the way and would be in for the ride of our lives…yes, that is correct…there were 14 of us in a very small van that most “normal” standards would have been set for about 9 people. The best part was that our Vietnamese “tour guide” had the audacity to share with us (with a typical big Vietnamese smile) that normally they would fit more people..but, as he wonderfully reminded us using hand gestures and a few words in broken English, “Vietnamese are very small people…you, you are all very big. With Vietnamese people, we could fit 4 more !”

So off we went on a 4 hour incredibly bumpy, fast, and noisy ride (with me in the very back row over the left wheel) to the western shores of Vietnam. All along I am thinking just one thing :how I could find my trusty Ipod or earplugs amidst the piles of luggage around me in order for me to survive this treacherous journey …I even started to look for little scraps of paper around me just to use to plug out the devastingly loud and irritable sounds all around me….but alas, I just let it all go and surrendered to the higher powers that be…this was a wonderful test, of course, to release that all too present need to control the situation…and there was no way in hell I had any control whatsoever here…

So I just began to smile and laugh with the other eager tourists on board, knowing full well this will be a story we will all have to share with our families and friends one day when we returned to our wonderfully organized worlds full of asphalt roads , lane dividers, and traffic lights.

two worlds seemingly collide here as I took this picture from a 400$/nite hotel (no, I was not staying here) ovedrlooking the mekong river where extreme poverty was just a stone's throw away.

I am now on the island of Phu Quoc, the westernmost island of Vietnam and only a few miles from the Cambodian border. It is a wonderful island , with only 50,000 residents and much fewer tourists. There is still a few military bases here but mostly it is a sleepy island filled with beautiful beaches and coastline, a national park filled with pinetrees and wildlife and an incredible potential for tourism. I am glad I am here now and not in 5 years. Once they decide to pave the roads here, I think it will be a very different place.

I went on an incredible motorbike ride yesterday that took me over much of the island on mostly red dirt roads with very few road signs and even fewer people that could give me any sense of where I was or where I wanted to go. 90km or so later, I eventually found my way back to my guesthouse and slept like a baby for almost 10 hours straight. It is amazing the amount of energy one expends, I guess, when driving on either very busy roads , or roads that are filled with only potholes, dirt, and rock.

It is , of course , great to be on a beach again for a few days, especially having been in some very noisy and busy cities before here…My next stop will be Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) this coming weekend and I am sure my head will be spinning once again with all the sights, smells and sounds that this wonderfully historic city has to offer..

And, yes, I will keep my earplugs very close at hand.

I hope you are well and that your world is also giving you a reason to smile and be amazed….

Until next time…

melina ☺

The spirit of forgiveness...

2008-02-23T17:17:00.028-10:00

It is rare that I find myself so inspired to write and share ..I am up at 6 in the morning right now, my head spinning with thoughts, ideas, and memories already conjured from my 2 days of visiting Cambodia thus far…I have another week to go here before I begin my journey to Vietnam.

I am in Siem Riep right now, a wonderful, vibrant, (and incredibly inexpensive) city situated just a few kilometers from the nearby archeological world wonder, Angkor Wat. I am finding it a fascinating place , filled with the many nuances of its rich cultural past.

I must admit that I never knew much about Cambodia before I arrived here. Aside from all the publicity that Angelina Jolie has given to the landmine victims here in recent years, I hadn’t really been too aware of all that had gone on here not only during the Vietnam era, but also in the many hundreds of years before then during the most incredible era of the Khmer people.

My most basic (and very vivid) thoughts and memories of Cambodia had to do mostly with my sitting in front of the television as a young girl in 1974, watching the people of Cambodia literally being bombed and killed right before my eyes on my small black and white color TV in my family den.

I remember often crying as I watched the evening news and asking my mother, “how can people be so mean to each other ?” She could never give me an answer to this question; It was almost as if she, too, wanted to cry with me, but knew, as a mother, she had to be the strong one here.

I learned at a very early age that violent behavior rarely has a good reason to occur, especially when it is acted out against the most innocent of people.

So as I flew into this tiny country of Cambodia two days ago, I looked out at this beautiful and seemingly very peaceful country, laden with rice fields and paddies, and wondered how the people of this country had chosen to move on after years of so much violence and destruction

I believe it is one thing: the spirit of forgiveness. These people have moved on. It shows in their almost ever-present smiles; it shows in their humility when dealing with the often demanding Western tourist ;It even shows in their ability to laugh at things that perhaps many westerners would call “in poor taste”- just yesterday a local girl shared with me a joke (in English) that made an “armless” woman part of the punchline- (armless landmine victims are a common site here).

The poverty is evident here like in no other southeast asian country I have visited thus far. It is much poorer than Vietnam, Thailand, even Laos. Only 5% of the population has cash (which, incidentally, is mostly in American dollars- something that totally shocked me when I first went to an ATM yesterdat to get money and saw crisp little greenbacks spit out from the machine) . And there is an illiteracy rate here of about 85%.

Yet I feel very much at home here..I can always ask for help if and when I need and I feel very safe walking around here on my own.I get daily smiles from almost every local person I walk by and it doesn’t really feel like it is only about “wanting my money” . These people are mostly Buddhists and I do believe this has a great deal to do with their genuine humility and kindness- it is just inherent in their cultural philosophy.

The owners of my guesthouse just cannot do enough to make me feel at home here. They met me at the airport in a wonderful red “tuk tuk” (with the driver holding up a sign with my name wonderfully typed on it-tuk tuk above in photo)and quickly sped me off to my guesthouse where I had a free massage upon arrival.

I have just returned from a visit with one of the worker’s mother today for “a casual visit” in her home down the road from where I am staying. The mother knows no English, her husband left her 18 years ago and her 5 children are all now working in local businesses to support her and each other. The mother is now a practicing "lay monk" and has kept her head shaven now for the past 5 years. They were wonderful to be around and even though they knew no English, we managed to smile and exchange a few messages thanks to Danay, her daughter, and my tour guide for the afternoon.ONe of the daughters (pictured far left) was especially excited to know that I was from Hawaii as she was just studying about Hawaii in school and was learning how beautiful of a place it was. I pray someday she will be able to come visit me.

My newfound freind Danay, who spent a couple of hours with me today showing me "where no tourists ever go" in and around Siem Riep. She is one of THE most motivated and hard-working people I have ever met. She works three jobs, supports her entire family, and goes to school every night to learn English. Her dream is to open up her own travel business someday. I have no doubt she will be incredibly successful at whatever she chooses to do. She truly is special.

I also was taken to a temple today where I befriended a group of wonderfully energetic young "monks in the making". We played a game of "kick the slipper into the goal" for awhile, laughed a lot, and exhanged hugs and goodbyes. Tomorrow, I am going to surprise them with a new soccer ball (they dont have one), badminton raquets (they love to play here), and notebooks and pencils (as they are learning English right now and their teachers , pictured below, said they would be most appreciative of this gift.) I feel like it is Christmas again and I get to do the giving and surprising tomorrow. I can't wait to go back to these children. They have seriously made me rethink about leaving Siem Riep in a couple of days.

It almost seems like a secondary expereince now but less than 24 hours ago, I was walking the ruins of one of the most amazing ancient sites I have ever seen .My day started off yesterday at about 5am when I met my driver (“Mr Vodha” not "vodka" as I first called him) to begin my day tour to Angkor Wat. Again, I had only begun to read about this amazing archeological wonder in recent months so I had really very few notions of what I would I be experiencing and seeing.

Well, was I in for yet another amazing surprise.

Angkor Wat and the surrounding temple should be a must for all to visit in this lifetime. One should also keep in mind that these temples spread out in an area of 100 sq. miles and date back to the 8th-15th century. An architectural feat indeed especially in these days and ages where "extreme makeovers" of home seem to be almost a yearly occurrence.

I will spare you now of every little detail of my Angkor Wat expereince and try to share my there there with pictures alone..though, I do admit, even this wonderful visual medium of photography doesn’t always do justice to the actual FEELING of just being there . You get my drift.

the details on every single piece of stone here absolutely boggles the mind. This was a culture of much patience and perseverance !

The locals take much pride in maintaining the essence and many structures of Angkor. Here is a temple worker helping in the renovation of one of the larger temples.

Man and nature in a beautiful dance.

These smiling faces seen everywhere in Angkor literally brought me to tears at one moment; the loving energy in this place is so very palpable.

This monkey obviously knows where he is loved.

This local man had just changed from his "casual slippers" to more formal sandals seconds before this shot was taken. This was no doubt an important picture for him.

The downfall of traveling on your own sometimes is that there are not always people around to snap a shot of you. Alas, my attempt at a self portait at Angkor Wat, just as proof that I was actually there !

This is one of the most riveting pictures I feel I have taken in a long while. If you click on this picture, you will get a closer look at the amazing look on this boy's face. It was difficult to figure out if this dog was playing or ready to bite the child. The dog eventually left and the child began to cry. Luckily, his mother was nearby to rescue him.

a seemingly most special day for a few local Cambodians to visit their pride and joy,Angkor Wat. Every single person in this picture took a special picture on their own in front of this temple. This was just a wonderful moment to sit back and watch the pride of these people come through in their smiles.

yet another amazing stone relief of a man and wife depicted during the Khmer regime.

the glorious entrance to Angkor Wat.

It was just me alone here as I ran from the masses of tourists and entered the temple on my own as the full moon was setting and the sun was slowly rising- quite a magical moment indeed.

The downfall to poverty is that children are often used to make money for their families. Here a young girl is being pushed to pose for passing tourists in order to get her picture taken for money.

every where I turned, there was always a picture to take, even in the simplest of designs and structures..

the famous temple Angkor Wat, one of the 7 archeological wonders of the world.

within minutes of me sitting down in a small dark temple, this young boy came up to me and lit me incense to offer to Buddha.

I should also mention that I went to a most inspiring free concert last night by a Swiss doctor and musician here. His name is Beat Richner and has been practicing medicine here as a doctor since 1974, when he lived in Phnom Penh during the Vietnam War. This life-altering concert/talk brought me to tears within the first few minutes of being there. Between beautiful cello pieces of Bach and Beethoven, I learned through small vignettes and film, that Cambodia still has some of the worst health care situations in the world. Just last year alone, 24,000 cases of dengue fever were reported amongst children under the age of 12 .Yet most of the Western World was so focused on the SARS epidemic as the World Health Organization chose to “spill” this information about SARS into the news instead. The ‘logic’ was, we were told by Dr. Richner, was that even though there were only 850 SARS cases reported around the world that same year, the disease was affecting the Western World more and dengue fever was not, at least at that time. Thus, this Cambodian health nightmare was given no coverage whatsoever and most people in “our part of the world” just didnt have a clue of this health tragedy that was and still is occurring..

I also learned that 90,000 children would die each year if it was not for the hospitals that this most brave doctor has set up and organized in Cambodia. There are now 3 hospitals, both here and in Phnom Penh, that provide free health care (yes, you heard that right future presidential candidates !) for over 85% of the people of Cambodia. The mortality rate has been reduced from 5% from just 4 years ago to .75% now. Lives are being saved, there is no corruption in the hospital system (no cash is exchanged within the buildings) and children are now being given a second chance to live. If you want to read more about this amazing man (who, incidentally was voted “man of the year in Switzerland in 2004), go to www.beatocello.com. You will be inspired.

I walked away from this concert last night feeling both incredibly moved by this man who has given his life to these people and also angered and saddened that most of the Western world has either shut its eyes to this significant health problem or just doesn’t have a clue to what is going on in this part of the world. I have vowed to do something to help, whether it is through a basic donation or to raise more awareness back home . Perhaps I can also use my music to help .

So yes, what an amazing past day it has been…the wonders of Angkor yesterday morning and afternoon, the inspiration last night from a man who is saving dozens of lives and informing hundreds of people every day, and the experience of visiting a local family today and befriending a group of young energetic monks.

Not bad for a 24 hours period.

Once again, I feel amazingly blessed.

I hope your day is also filled with awe and inspiration and the spirit of giving is alive and well in your world.

until next time..
melina

"I come from the land down-under.."

2008-02-15T22:39:00.008-10:00

So I am in Sydney at last...and oh so happy to be with my wonderful brother Tony for a couple of weeks for some fun in the sun...

It has been wonderful being in this vibrant city, filled with so much culture, beautiful scenery, and wonderfully freindly (and amazingly fit and healthy!) people...

Instead of writing much for this blog, I decided just to enter pictures in with a few captions...I hope it will give you a good sense of the sights and sounds that greet meet on a daily basis while I am here...

I hope you are all well..

hugs from Bondi Beach..
melina :)

me and my "baby" brother Tony...

at breakfast after swim practice..

me and my Greek/South African freind Basil....

Aussie lifeguards take their job ever so seriously !

the coastline the greets me every morning..

there is an amazing coastal walk for about 4 km that I walk along almost daily here..it is magestic, magical, and mystifying...

the friendly local parrots on the balcony feeding freely out of our hands !

a special "night flower" that only blossoms after the sun goes down..

local "sydneyites" on their way to a costume party..

cant help but feel I am in Hawaii at times with scenes like this !

the view from the apartment where I am staying at...tough life, I know...

I am off to Cambodia this Friday, followed by my trek up the Vietnamese coast...I am looking forward to share more soon..

hugs..

peace, at last....

2008-01-30T20:09:00.000-10:00

So once again it has been about 3 weeks since I last wrote you all. I sense this is now going to be more of the the natural rhythm for me in the next few months: experiencing a whole lot, being in the moment, observing, sitting with it all for awhile and then trying to be a bit of a storyteller to pass on a few tales…

I must also admit that I have been getting pretty burnt hour spending a few hours a day working on the computer for my winter univ. courses and find myself just needing to get away from this keyboard after connecting with students for several hours…so my apologies for those of you who have wanted to hear and see more….

I must first share that for the past week I have been on an almost deserted island with only electric power for 4 hours of the day,no paved roads, no cars, no 7’11’s or starbucks in sight, no major construction going on (yay !!), and almost no internet service whatsoever..a very good thing for those wanting to complelely detach from things bit ; a bit frustrating for those that need their daily intake of the media and all the bombardment of world news and gossip that goes with it…

I was in heaven…as were most of the few other tourists that I spoke with who were also enjoying their “temporary retreat from the world” on this islandi. It was like we all had this special little secret and vowed not to tell anyone else about this special hideaway that we were all so lucky to have “stumbled” upon. It was like we all belonged to some secret society and we gave each other the knowing glance that yes, indeed, this would be our best kept secret. (Notice, too, that I am not even sharing with you the name of this island – I will accept a good bribe , though, and maybe will share then_.. ☺)

Anways, one of the best daily “adventures” I had every day here was walking an hour every day to the only WiFi café on this island just so I could do my few hours of school work. I absolutely loved the fact that I had a walking commute to look forward to each morning- right on a very quiet flat sandy beach , starting directly in front of my bungalow- such a amazing way to start the day-I always felt so clear-headed and calm when I sat down to work...we should all be so lucky to always have this sort of exercise and calm before starting the work day.

I even received the reputation of being the “walking lady” from the owner of the bungalows where I was staying. Poi, a wonderfully strong and friendly woman in her early 40’s, was both amazed and amused by the amount of time she saw me every day with a backpack on my back walking to and from the other end of the beach, several kilometers each way…from now on , she told me, I will always be known to her as the “walking girl from Hawaii” and told me to say this as my “code word” if I ever called to stay with her again…

Aside from the wonderful daily routine that I had on this island of just 1200 people, the most rewarding thing for me being here was the wonderful connection I made with the local thai people. It seemed everywhere I went there was always someone giving me an amazing smile and hand wave, accompanied with a loud “sawatdee ka !” as I passed them by…

I felt especially blessed to be invited by a group of local thais for dinner one night – I helped with the cooking (which was such a treat after not having been in a kitchen for 7 weeks now) and enjoyed fresh fish and crabs that were literally caught less than an hour before we all sat down to eat. There was also lots of laughter , storytelling, eating, singing, and loads of playing with the local children as we sat around the evening fire- I even managed to teach them a few words of English along the way in exchange for some very useful and valuable thai words….I have already promised to return here next year with some school books in hand to continue working with these children- their absolute acceptance and love for me will be something I wont soon forget.

I also received one of the highest compliments the other night from a lovely thai man named Sin, the father of the 2 kids I became very close to. He shared with me when we said good-bye my last night there that “even though I have known you only a couple of days, I feel like I have known you for a very long time. You will always be welcomed here- we will always take care of you here”….”

No souvenir will be ever worth more to me than these words.

So now I am back on the island of Ko Lanta for a few more days, enjoying some fun dinners with friends and getting some business sorted out before I hop on a plane for Kuala Lumpur this Sunday and then make my way down to Sydney to see my brother Tony for a couple of weeks. I admit I am looking forward to a bit of ‘luxurious living’ for a few days- basically, this means having a hot shower at last and not sleeping under a mosquito net for the first time in almost 2 months ! And, of course, spending time with my brother will be so special after having been “on my own” now for almost two months..I am also looking forward to the sights and sounds of being in a couple of big cities for a bit….the contrast will be seemingly stark at first , I am sure, and probably will be a bit of a shock to my system,but I sense I will make the most of “city life”, knowing I will be returning to quieter grounds again after I leave…And I wil be staying right on Bondi beach in Australia so the surf and sand wont be far.

(the following pics are of freinds that I have met here on the wonderful island of Ko Lanta, including several cats and dogs that have befriended me..;) )

My plans after Australia will be to fly to Cambodia and spend a few days in Angkor Wat, one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world. I cant tell you how excited I am to finally make it here and sense I will have many stories and pictures to share from my experiences there. After taking a river trip down to Phnom Penh, I will make my way down to Saigon and travel up the 1700 km coast of Vietnam , all the way to the capital city of Hanoi. It will be an amazing journey, no doubt , as I explore the rich history of this country and will, of course, look forward to sharing some of my insights in traveling in this country still known to so many of us in the U.S. as “Nam”.

As always, I hope you are well…I may be far in distance but am often near in thought…

and as I end this blog, I cant help but to be reminded of the “4 agreements” (from the book of the same name by Don Miguel Ruiz) that I have been reading and trying to apply daily to my life.. …I share these with you in hope of adding a little “spark” to your day …

be impeccable with your word…

don’t make presumptions..

don’t take anything personally.

And, last, but definitely not least:

…always do your best…

and as I sign off for now (while hearing the live 5:15 morning call to worship in the background), I wish you a day full of peace, respect, tolerance, and compassion…

until next time…

melina ☺

Sawatdee Pimai ! Happy new year 2008....

2008-01-08T20:02:00.000-10:00

So it has been just a little over 3 weeks since I first arrived here in Thailand…seems so much longer already...my days have been so full, both with work and play...

In many ways, it feels like I never left- I am in the same bungalow as I was 8 months ago, there are familiar faces around me again, and I have the “lay of the land” down pretty well by now..…

The lifestyle I have here is also ,in many ways, very similar to the lifestyle I have back in Hawaii (though the dollar goes much farther here !)….I am always near the ocean, I work, I exercise, spend time with friends, read, write, go out for meals, spend quiet time in solitude, meditate, think, etc…

So many might ask now, “why do you even leave Hawaii?”….

..because once a gypsy, always a gypsy..and the simple life really suits me.

I also feel there are always more wonderful people to meet and learn from, more deserted beaches to explore, more mountains to climb, more children to make smile and give hugs to, more cultures to get a better understanding of….I never tire of any of this….

For you see, this traveling thing for me is really about pushing that learning curve for me… you might call this a sort of “life school”for me…It pushes me out of my comfort zone where I am often in places where I don’t know a soul ..this is allows me to take a step back at times, and just become the observer, and be quiet for awhile…For I am learning more and more of how important it is sometimes to just sit still and watch, and listen…to not only what is happening around you but also to what is going on inside…

And the most consistent lesson I am always reminded of when I leave “home” is that no matter how beautiful a place is that you are in, you take everything that is inside of you with you…. there is no escape…you have to face everything….if you choose…

and, yes, this is one of the main reasons I give myself this time and space….to have some quality time with all those “inner workings” of my psyche and soul that don’t always get the attention they need when I am home in Hawaii, scurrying about, keeping sometimes much too busy with work and other obligations..

So, on that note, I should also share with you that I don’t always feel the desire to write as much in my blog right now as I have done in the past…Perhaps, because this is now the third time I am back here and it also feels like home here,,,and I don’t always feel like I have “new and exciting” stories to share….and I also don’t want to idealize my situation here, which may have seem more the case in the past…or perhaps this was because everything seemed so new an "fresh" to me...

I am also feeling a lot more introspective these days and am doing a lot of my own personal journaling and processing…this may change in the weeks to come (as I will be traveling to "new territories" soon but for now I think my entries may bit more sparse.

What I am realizing while being here is that I am seeing more and more of the “blemishes” of Thailand …..but this is not necessarily a bad thing..It just makes this place a lot more real to me…and reminds me that no place on the planet is ever “perfect”….

What has troubled me the most here is the amount of construction and development I have seen happening on this island of Ko Lanta and the way prices have gone up right with it…and it seems to happening mostly right around where I am living…so yes, I wake up to the view (and sounds) of the ocean about 25 yards from my room but I also often hear the sound of a hammer, a crane, and the occasional drill in the background…thank goodness for a good set of ear plugs and my Ipod.:)

This is what the rest of the world calls “progress” and I do know that it is inevitable for so much of the world these days…I just pray that the cultures of the world are preserved and we will not just become a world full of shopping malls and drive-thru fast food chains…

But I am getting used to it…I escape a lot every day and take nice long walks, swims and long motorbike rides to quiet and sometimes completely deserted beaches both near and far and I always make time to connect with the local people here- they are really wonderful, especially the children who just don’t seem to know any cultural barriers whatsoever……

It really is a beautiful island I am on so please don’t feel too sorry for me ! Life is still pretty simple and idyllic in many ways here…and yes, I am continuing to meet friends, both old and new…this is always a great thing about returning back to a familiar place.; you begin to build a history with both the local people as well as those “tourists” like myself who return here every year….

Work-wise, it has been a busy 3 weeks for me thus far….I have been teaching 2 intense 4-week Communication online courses for Hawaii Pacific University..the courses started the day I left Hawaii so I really haven’t had a “complete break” yet but again, there is such a luxury in being able to sit here in my bungalow by the sea and get wireless connection and do my work from the very comforts of a seaside home !….I spend at least 2-3hours a day working on my courses- a good discipline to keep right now as I teach 50 very eager students from all over the world…and yes, they (the students) really do love the idea that they have a teacher who is living such a nomadic lifestyle while they are taking the course and I enjoy sharing with them my many cultural insights and experiences into our live class discussions…I will start teaching one more online course in a couple of weeks but it will be stretched out over a whole semester so it should add a little more leisure time into my life here…this is a good thing..:)

I have had a great time celebrating the holidays here….Both Christmas and New Years were spent here on this island of Ko Lanta, my home away from home…..One of the highlights for me (and the children, of course), was being surprised by Santa “appearing” on an elephant on the beach….it certainly reminded me of the magic that still can be associated with this holiday…and yes, to see the look on the childrens’ faces when Santa began to approach them was a most priceless experience…this is when a photograph truly can share a lot more than words……

Because there are so many Swedes where I am living, the celebration on Christmas eve was much more of a festivity than Christmas day, I had dinner with about 40 swedes, enjoying a candlelit dinner by the ocean, feasting on homemade Thai food and good conversation,,,a nice evening to spend…though admittedly, I was having the occasional pang of missing my own family back home…

New Years was even more fun for me…There were about 50 of us, all dressed in white, again sitting around various candlelit tables, enjoying a scrumptious meal of various seafood, vegetables and desserts….all with a local Thai flavor…There was a big fireworks show right on the beach at midnight, the traditional lighting of lanterns, and dancing till dawn ..I finally got to bed when the sun was rising at about 6am ! A nice way to “roll in” the new year, no doubt !

My plans now are to stay here on Ko Lanta till the end of January..I will then fly to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) for a few days and then will fly down to Sydney Australia to see my brother Tony there for a couple of weeks..I am really looking forward to this trip…My brother and I had an amazing trip there about 6 years ago and we have always promised we would both try to get back there together again….so alas, the dream has come true !

After Australia, I hope to stop in Bali for a couple of weeks., this is also another very special place for me and I look forward to getting back there to see how the place has changed, if, at all, and to connect with the amazing spirit of the people and culture…

After Bali, I hope to get up to the island of Ko Phangan where I am planning on doing a yoga course for at least a couple of weeks..after that, we will see…….Vietnam and Cambodia are still possibilities (really want to get to Hanoi and see Angkor Wat) as is just sitting on a quiet beach for the last few weeks of my stay…ah, the options…☺

So I guess that’s about it for now…I truly hope you are well and are having a rewarding new year thus far….Time does seem to move faster as one gets older so I hope you are all appreciating the gifts that come to you on a daily basis..I have also recently decided that this is the secret to happiness….Gratitude. plain and simple.

And for all the “darkness” one might see out there on a daily basis, there always seems to be something wonderfully bright to lift one’s heart as well.

I certainly am grateful for the life that I am living right now….

I hope your days are also full of light…always.

Happy new year.

melina. ☺

good-bye to thailand...for now...

2007-04-21T17:22:00.001-10:00

After spending 3 months on the wonderful island of Koh Lanta, I decided to pack my bags on April 3rd and head north to another island that I had felt very drawn to visit for quite some time. This was the island of Ko Phangan, world-reknowned for its infamous “full-moon” parties…However, I was going there not for these famous beach parties but for the experience of participating in a yoga retreat as well as meeting up with a few friends…

Little did I know that I was about to land on a most amazing island- so amazing that I have already made plans to return here next year…

I arrived on Ko Phangan by ferry, under a glorious full moon and an amazing sunset, both seen simultaneously amidst a thunder/lightning storm happening in the distance… it was a most powerful encounter with Mother Nature….I also coincidentally met my friends Daniel and Aoiffa on the ferry..two freind I had met only weeks ago in Koh Lanta.

instinctually, I already knew that Ko Phangan was going to be a very special place for me…and indeed, I was right.

The one particular place that felt so much like “home” for me was a beach town called Had Ruan…Here I was surrounded by spiritually enlightened people (taking all sorts of metaphysical courses here such as yoga, reiki, and massage), clear blue waters, warm welcoming sands, amazing vegetarian (!) food, butterflies of every color of the rainbow, amazing mountains and rock formations, fluffy puppies and cuddly kittens, and a peacefulness in the air that took on a drug-like effect on all those who were fortunate enough to be there…there were also no roads here (thus no cars or motorbike noise) and the only way to get on or off the beach was by boat….my kind of place…

I spent my last 2 weeks here and it was just what I needed…there was very little to distract me from my peaceful life …no TV, little to no phone reception and a very expensive internet connection…. So. appropriately enough, I “detached” from everyone and everything for awhile…a true gift to myself.

funny enough, the place where I ate every night had a Brazilian and Greek flag right next to each other and I would always manage to eat right under these flags.....This definitely felt like a true validation that I was at the right place at the right time and that my family never felt far from me...

I vowed then and there to try and maintain this inner peace that I had found when I returned to Hawaii and as I sit here now in my own bed here in Honolulu I can still feel the calm from this magical place…I will do my best to have it last for as long as possible…I want my transition home to be a smooth one.

So now, some final thoughts now as I complete yet another 4 month journey in Thailand….

I am thankful , first and foremost, that I have had such an amazing privilege once again to take the time that I did to live in such an amazing place. I am most grateful for all the many new friendships I have made, many of which will be lifelong- this is, by far, the most precious souvenir one can come home with….

I was also reminded, quite starkly, on my last night in Bangkok, that I am definitely part of a very privileged class in the world. I have never gone to bed hungry, have always had a roof over my head, always had a family who supported me even in my most troubled times, and have had the blessing of an education that has now provided me this freedom to teach anywhere in the world.

For as I headed into Bangkok my last day (after a 12-hour overnight journey from the south), I saw a view of a lifestyle that I had almost forgotten about: There were people sleeping next to train tracks with all their belongings next to them in a few plastic bags…,stray dogs and cats roaming everywhere with no food in sight… I saw the most basic of homes built of simple slabs of wood and metal lined up for miles against the backdrop of big glistening skyscrapers- literally just a few feet from the train track….

I was reminded , quite suddenly, that the majority of the world still lives like this….and that I , and everyone else of the more “privileged” class, should do whatever they can to help stop this cycle of poverty that seems to be handed down from generation to generation…the wealth must be distributed more evenly…it just must. How we go about making this difference is a personal choice, but a choice that needs to be taken, nonetheless…

However, I must mention that I saw one particular home on this train track that left me with a beautiful sense of hope and optimism….it was a very small house, put together by only a few pieces of wood that sat over a small river…However, this house just really stood out to me for some reason…whoever had lived in this house had created a very special “deck” speckled with whatever worn-out chairs and furniture they could find; yet this family seemed to have made such an effort to truly make it a “home”..even if their view was only of other very poorly made wooden shacks and the constant view and sounds of the trains traveling by….This family seemed to just have made the most of what they had been given …there was a feeling of happiness that emanated from this home, this very simple home made of a few pieces of wood that sat over the river.…

happiness and love can be found in even the most simple of surroundings…

and as I have found so often in my travels, “less is more” in so many ways in life.

so as I end yet another journey , I would like to dedicate my last words and thoughts to all the fellow “gypsies” , both young and old, thatI have met along the way. So many of these people inspired me in countless ways ; their desires and hopes to make this world a better place, full of peace and tolerance ,truly gave me a renewed sense of my purpose of being here on this planet…

I am forever grateful for these newfound freindships…..

and thank you, to all of you, who have once again followed me on this amazing adventure…I cant tell you how special it was to know that I was always being “looked after” by your thoughts , care, and words of support…

It makes being “on the road” a lot less lonely…..

until the next journey begins…..

keep praying for peace.

melina

motorbike mania !

2007-03-26T17:11:00.000-10:00

Okay, this is probably not going to be the most moving and inspirational of entries....but, I do need to share with you the excitement of me finally riding a motorbike on my own for the first time in my life !

It may seem a bit silly that one my age can get so excited over a seemingly simple activity but after having a fear of riding motoribikes for most of my life, the very fact that I am now riding a bike on my own just seems a bit miraculous to me !

I just got up the other morning and said "today is the day I am going to ride a bike"..It was that fast...I got on my friend
Lena's bike and drove around in circles for a few minutes on my bungalows ground, practiced starting and stopping a few times, and there you have it..that was my lesson ! It felt very easy to me and within a few hours , I rented my own bike and off I went...

It has been great to just be touring the island on a daily basis; exploring new beaches and jungle roads is a daily activitiy now for me....it is also amazingly meditative to just ride and take in all the beauty...strangely enough, I feel there is such peace and quiet when I ride....I really get now why people take these amazingly long trips on motorcycles across large masses of land....

I am also including a picture of a beautiful muslim child (2 years old) and her grandmother that I took a few days ago- they live just around the corner for me....they are so sweet and often sit outside their home and wave to all those who pass them...the woman's husband is part of a family who owns much of the land of where I am staying....I will try to include a picture of him in one of my next entries..he has a most amazing face...so much light in his eyes....

I have about 2 1/2 weeks left now of my travels..seems a bit surreal to be already thinking about returning home as the time has just moved incredibly fast here....I will be here for the Thai New years celebration which will be a great way to leave the country (I arrived new years eve,dec 31st)....it is a HUGE 3-day celebration throughout the entire country...water is thrown on people constantly and one has to pretty much be resigned to the fact of being soaked for 3 days straight ! Luckily I will be near the ocean for most of this celebration but will be in Bangkok for a day as well..this is where I think I will see some serious water balloon action !

It is getting very quiet now here on Koh Lanta...many of my freinds have now left so there is a bit of a feeling of sadness at times that hits me...but the peace and quiet of the place is an absolute blessing right now and I am determined to make the most of this quiet in the next few weeks...it is a precious commodity, I know...

hope you are all enjoying some nice springtime weather wherever you are....this was always one of my favorite times of year as a child...something about the smell of fresh mowed grass and flowers blooming again after a long cold winter that always seemed to move me.....a sense of rebirth, no doubt....

I look forward to seeing a lot of you soon...

hugs.
melina

from North to South (Chiang Mai to Malaysia)....

2007-03-05T18:17:00.000-10:00

These past 10 days have been quite a journey for me…..so much has been seen and experienced in such a short amount of time that it will be difficult to try and share it all in just a few words here…..but I will try..

Going to Chiang mai in the north of Thailand was a wonderful homecoming for me…I had met so many wonderful people there last year and was so happy to see so many famliar faces and friends when I returned….It was my time to be in a “big city” as well so I made the most of long walks throughout the day and evening, taking in all the sights and sounds of this magical Buddhist city.

My main reunion was with my Greek friends Yannis, Maria, Nikos and Costas….I ended up making several more good friends when I was there including Tasos from Cyprus and Lena from Sweden. AS you can see from the picture, Lena looks about as Swedish as they come but she lived in Greece for 6 years and speaks Greek so fluently that even the Greeks cannot tell (or believe) she is Swedish (except for the blonde hair and blue eyes, of course) ! She is like a sister to me now and is coming to Koh Lanta today to spend a couple of weeks with me…she feels like a friend for life…such a nice gift when you are traveling.

It was also so nice to meet up with many travelers who I met last year who were also back in Chiang Mai again..we were so suprised but happy to see each other again…I sense this will be a common occurrence if I return here every year. What was also very special for me were the local shopkeepers, café owners, etc., who remembered me (and I them) from last year ….this, too, also felt like a reunion and a very special one at that.

I was also in Chiang MaI for the third anniversary of my mother's passing (Feb. 25TH) I was fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of the thai tradition of ligthing a latern with a personal message on it and sending it off to the skies...it is a beautiful tradition , I feel, and a wonderful way to be reminded of the transience of all things we know of as "the physical" in this world.

After Chiang Mai, I flew down to the island of Penang in Malaysia…I need to leave the country every 60 days here as part of my visa status so I chose Malaysia as a country to visit for a few days. The island of Penang is very large and quite close to Thailand so I thought this would be a nice place to being my exploration of this multi-cultural nation.

And boy was I in for a surprise….I had always thought I was getting a good sense of the “muslim experience” living in Koh Lanta but once entering Malaysia I think I truly began to understand what it is like as a woman to live in a country that seems to predominately cater to emn. It was not like I ever did not feel safe- this was not a big concern though I was careful where I walked at night and always walked briskly and assuredly ( a technique I use everyehre I go ..)

What made me feel like I was really in a Muslim country was in the way I was being treating by many of the local men- the looks, the comments as I walked by, the curious stares of why I was alone, dressed in shorts, walking confidently with a smile….I think it was all just a little bit strange for them-not something they are that accustomed to in their culture……..I just haven’t experienced any of this in Thailand for all the months that I have been here….

Now this was just on the island of Penang and this is the only observation I can make about Malaysia thus far….The city of Georgetown ( where I was staying ) was a fascinating mix of Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist and British culture all wrapped up in one- one could easily see this in the many types of architecture that represented all these ways of life- it was also great to see so many languages in the street signs everywhere I went…it seemed like all were accepted here….but I know appearances can be deceiving….not everything is as it appears, I know…..but I did get a sense of overall peace as I walked the streets. This is always inspiring and affirming to me.

I was especially taken aback by an area in town called Little India where one could truly feel like they were walking down a street in Bombay or Delhi…..it was uncanny at times- with the loud blaring bass-filled Indie music beating from the many CD/DVD shops , the amazingly colorful sarongs and saris hanging everywhere you looked and the smells of curry and coconut in the air filling my stomach several times over.…it was sensory overload and I loved it….

After Penang , I took a 2 ½ hour boat trip to another Malaysian island called Langkawi….This island supposedly draws more tourists to Malaysia than anywhere else in the country. And I could see why…rich green rolling hills and mountains met beautiful clear blue-water beaches almost everywhere I looked. And the Malays here were so incredibly warm and friendly. I took a sunset walk down a beach one night and I was constantly being stopped with shouts of “hello” from both children and adults alike….and the smiles I received from almost every single person as I walked by (both men and women) were incredibly heartwarming- these were smiles that came form deep within their hearts….They saw me as a human being first…as I did them….there is something magical when you connect with the eyes first and then the heart…it transcend all cultures, skin colors, and religious beliefs…I believe the ripple effect of this type of connection is huge.

The highlight for me on this walk was meeting a group of university students- all girls, all muslims fromm Penang, and all future civil engineers ! They were on the beach celebrating the end of their semester and they were just so happy to be able to talk to me about their studies. I was also just so happy to hear that this country was supporting women in education, especially in fields that are normally associated with men. It was just so awesome to be around these girls..they were smart, funny, kind, and so incredibly enthusiastic…..I think their smiles in the picture tells it all..

My last stop on my 10 day journey was taking another boat trip back to Thaland to the island of Koh Lipe. I had heard so much about this island last year and decided it was time to finally visit. Butinstead of being welcomed by calm tranquil beaches , I was greeted by a parking lot oflongtail boats hustling tourists back and forth around the island- not the peacefule environment I was expecting and wanting…the waters were amazingly clear here , though, so I did take advantage of doing some very nice snorkeling just off the shores of my bungalow…Unfortunately, I think there is not turning back the clock on this island…the invasion has occurred and the invadees are not trying to make as much money as they can from the situation…..some people call it progress…I call it too much , too fast….

After an amazing 3 hour speed boat trip from Koh Lipe, I arrived back here in my “home” of Koh Lanta. I admit it is really nice to be back in my little bungalow again and see my old friends here….there is a sense of family for me here and was happy to see the “gang” when I returned. Even my faithful dog Juliet (who I unofficially adopted) came running up to me as I approached my bungalow…It was like she had just seen Santa Claus for the first time..I know now why people have dogs…they truly are incredibly faithful….

Okay, I think that is about it for now….these were hardly “few words” as I planned so I apologize if I got a bit long winded….I guess these logs serve a dual purpose ; it is not only a way to share with you my adventures but also a medium for me to keep track of “where the heck I have been !”…

It is hard to believe we are in March already….I am home in a little over 6 weeks already….time really does fly when you are having fun and enjoying life to the fullest…

I wouldn’t have it any other way….

Hugs to you…

Melina ☺

stairway to heaven......

2007-02-18T18:03:00.000-10:00

Once again, it has been over a week since I last made an entry here…I am beginning to realize more and more that I am really just “living” my life right now and am not always in “tourist mode” with the need to constantly report back with stories…

nevertheless, I still get a great deal of pleasure to report what news/stories I do have so here are just a few …

every day is full for me here….i am never bored;there is always some work for me to do with school, emails to check and/or write, someone to go visit for a coffee or a meal..and, of course, there is always a new island/city/beach to discover when I have a free day or two…

this past week was filled with 2 main “events for me” :..One was that I organized an “international beach volleyball” tournament at my bungalow….several nations were represented including Sweden, France, Holland, and Thailand.

I was also the official announcer of the tournament so for 5 ½ hours I sat “courtside” announcing the “play-by-play” and was the overall MC of the day, making people laugh, clap, etc….I had forgotten I much I love to talk in front of a crowd ! This experience was also a great reminder how fortunate I am to speak English as it is still such a universally understood language. We (English speakers) are all so fortunate to have this luxury of knowing a language that so many people abroad also know…

The Swedes were the champion of the tournament….and when they received their coconut trophies (painted by yours truly…), they announced that their secret to success was eating porridge (aka :oatmeal) every morning !….it also didn’t hurt that one of the players was actually a professional champion volleyball player with sponsors and all in Sweden.

A great time was had by all …..and as I sat and mingled with the players and audience members after the tournament , I was again reminded of how wonderful it is to have so many cultures gathered in one place celebrating both differences and similarities…..I don’t think I will ever tire of this type of celebration.

Yesterday also provided me another wonderful adventure where I was no longer a spectator but a participant in a more personal athletic “event”.
I climbed 1237 steps (some incredibly large and steep) up a mountain to a very famous temple called Wat Tham Sua (Tiger Cave temple). Legend has it that a large tiger once lived here and its footsteps are reported to adorn the temple’s entrance….It is also said that Buddha’s footprints are at this temple but for some reason, all I saw were Nike imprints in the cement as I climbed.. Somehow, I think Buddha would appreciate the slogan “just do it” as this climb was grueling and was definitely not for the faint of heart and mind…..

a pic of me and my Dutch friend Jan at the top of the temple...we were both very happy to be sitting down at last !

the view from the top of the temple- hopefully, you can get a sense of how steep the steps were !

the face of Buddha greated us all after a long climb up....somehow his smile took on a new meaning for me as I sensed is always pleased to see people make the effort to come see him up here....

It was also the first day of the Chinese new year so I was fortunate to see so many of the local Chinese come to pay reverence with flowers, incense, and fruit- a feast for the senses, indeed !

Later this week, I am off to Chiang Mai for a few days to reunite with some friends (mostly Greek !) that I met there last year….it should be nice to see some old familiar faces and celebrate at my favorite Greek restaurant there- Zorbas ! I will then fly to the island of Penang (Malaysia) a few days later to do a visa run and enjoy the rich mix of Chinese, Indian, British, and Malay cultures…..I look forward to sharing you my reports of this next adventure…

until then, I hope you are well…I am already at about the halfway mark of my journey..hard to believe time moves so quickly. But I am constantly feeling such gratitude for the lifestyle I am leading right now ….I know I am blessed and hope I will be able to give more to others because of this experience….

Bye for now…

melina