Jesse...

He is my favorite Thai gay so far. We use to go always to the same bar and he is entertaining us in an unbelievable way. He is really a cute guy - 100% gay. His expertise is hitting on falang guys and checking their penis. I dont know how he is doing that exactly but we have some fun with him. Today a very tall guy showed up with a lot of muscles and he immediately was sitting on his lap - then stood up and said in thai - a big guy but a very small dick :-). Well we understood because Crazy was there to translate but it was fun. The falang guy of course does not have any idea of what was talked about. So it was some nice fun we had.

And we had some fun on the bus - we met an american with a thai girl that was a katoy - a man with breast but a penis and this stupid american after travelling two weeks with that woman/boy still has not found that out. The best part is that this thai woman/boy does not speak because his voice would clearly show that he is a man because it is deep. Well so they talk in sign language to each other. We had some pretty fun talking to that american but of course we didnt say anything - I guess he will find out soon himself. But still I am amazed that he didnt figure it out already.

Went to Wat Po for a real thai massage - it was great and done by a thai man with soft hands. Well I nearly fainted. My next man should have the following assets (and I wont compromise on that): being able to massage, cook, clean the house or even build one, and should be also a thai boxer! If I can find some kind like that (should be easy in Thailand) well I will be a lucky woman.

Some serious stuff now: Tomorrow I go to one of the biggest thai prisons together with Sonja. She is visiting a polish guy there that got death penalty that was changed to a life sentence because of some minor drug trafficing. He already is in this prison for 4 year now and has some serious health conditions. Karla and Sonja managed to get the support of the prime minister of Poland to get the pardon of the Thai king. Will take another 1 - 2 years but if he gets the pardon he is free and can return to his country. I just was amazed by these girls how much they are fighting for this polish guy. I mean one has to manage to get a personal letter of the prime minister of Poland first - that is a real accomplishment.

I will go with Sonja just to know the way and she will ask Micha if there are any Germans or Austrians for similar minor crime in prison that I can help a bit - and even if that is just for visiting them and talking in German with them to give them some strength. I heard some terrible stories about that prison - for example when you are in the prisoner hospital and somebody dies on friday (which happens quite often) or on the weekend nobody is taking the dead body away - the patients still alive have to be next a dead body that starts quickly to decompose in that climate. It is just awful and all this just for drug trafficing in minor doses - where you would get a fine in Austria or Germany. Anyway lets see I will keep you informed. It is a lot of paper work to get into that prison to be able to visit somebody but I will manage. Most important for now is that I know the way in this crazy city.

Mounara

a hard sunday

I had a pretty hard sunday - helping karla to move apartments together with crazy and sonja. She is a teacher here and whenever she is changing jobs she also has to change appartments because it is important with this crazy traffic here to live close by the place you work. So we did packing and carrying of things in the greatest heat. But anyway it was interesting we had some nice lunch in a big shopping mall where you can watch all these rich thai people. And where you can find also McDonalds - that is doing a wai :-).

Today I will go to Wat Po to get a real great thai massage - then to chinatown (finally!). Crazy needs to help me as well to get some thai balm - I still was not able to get it. Whenever I asked the thai people where smiling at me but did not understand. I decided to stay some days longer in Bangkok - until Friday - cause then Crazy and Sonja are leaving for Europe (I will miss them badly!!!). I will go to Ayutthaya for some days which was the ancient capital of Thailand. Then on 10th of April I go and see the master in the Wat Mahatat and see if he is accepting me for a while in his monastry for getting more into meditation. But before that I will spend Songkhran with Karla in Ko Chang a very small island mostly thai and cambodian people there.

Karla and Sonja told me that it is really great there. Living in a very simple bungalow at the beach - thai and cambodian guys cooking for you (even getting the fish on their own from the sea). There is no time - you wake up every day and then you decide if you do something or simply dont do.

But lets go back to Songkhran - it is the biggest feast here the thai new year. They count differently than we do they already have the year 2551. I will tell you then more about it once I have experienced it.

my best friends

Are all these people that cook every day. I eat so much fruits and delicious things - I guess it takes a life time to have tried all. It is also very interesting to eat with thai people - the men are the ones that go and buy different dishes - they decide (which is good I couldnt anyway) and then all gets shared. The traditional way is to sit on the floor and eat with your hands but of course this cant be done in Bangkok really as streets quite dirty. Thai people do that still but falangs not really.

the real bangkok

I did some "travelling" with boats in the khlongs here. It is very diverse - and you see people living in very basic wooden huts. Crazy told me that average thai people earn 10.000 baht per month that is 200 EURs. It is a pretty hard life for most of them. There is also a lot of corruption here with the police whole of Kao San (street where all these backpacker tourists are) is mafia. But as long as you dont speak the language you never know the whole truth.

a diverse day

Spent a very relaxing morning with reading the Bangkok Post. At 11 I had a nice buddha feast with some delicious lunch at the Mahatat monastery. Second time I practised vipassana meditation and it went far easier already than the first day. Here some basic infos on that kind of teaching:

Vipassana is about seeing things as they really are. It is one of the oldest meditation techniques - originating from india 2.500 years ago. This non-sectarian technique aims for the total eradication of mental impurities and the resultant highest happiness of full liberation. Vipassana is a way of self-transformation through self-observation. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. It is this observation-based, self-exploratory journey to the common root of mind and body that dissolves mental impurity, resulting in a balanced mind full of love and compassion.

So it is indeed very interesting - I already asked in the monastery if a stay there for a deeper insight is possible. Well I have to wait until the master comes back from his travels on 10th of April. It is pretty exciting though. Really great people there (not only the monks!).

After this spiritual time I went on to do a boat trip on the khlongs of Bangkok - it is also called the Venetia of the Far East. Was interesting to see how people life in the huts next to the water. Then home for some sleep and a cold shower to be ready for the thai boxing with crazy and his gang. Well we went there - had a great dinner but finally crazy couldnt get in as he as a Thai was not dressed appropriately. We falangs can go no matter how we are dressed but then we also pay 5 times the normal price a Thai is paying. So we could not enjoy Thai boxing and decided to go tomorrow in the morning.

We ended up in a nice bar and met some very interesting people - one was Phil half aborigines - 60 year old nurse responsible for aborigines communities in the center of Australia. I will keep in touch with her once I go on for Australia to see how the Aborigines are living. She is a really great woman! It is funny I really attract so many interesting people and one leads to the other. Already have an invitation to go to one nice Island to live with thai people on the beach. So many things come across my way it is just fascinating. I am very tired - I could write more because today again so many great things happened but I dont feel like it.

Mounara

tuk tuks

These little three wheeled motorbikes or cars are called tuk tuks. Actually that is the first word you learn here. So far I have not tried it for the following reasons:

1. They drive like crazy - I have to discover a lot of things before I take this risk :-)
2. I nearly got already hit by one of them - I respect them now.
3. Driving in the open air with that smog is like an intake of a lot of cigarettes!

But of course I will try it at a later point for the start I decided to discover Bangkok by foot as this is for me the best way to orientate myself.

Mounara

Temples, monks, meditation

I was a very brave girl today.Walked through the city and visited 4 temples and saw sitting buddhas, standing buddhas, meditating buddhas only the laying buddha I missed. Got up at 7 am or better didnt sleep at all (still jetlag!!!). Early in the morning is the best time to see all kind of Wats because no tourists :-). So I walked the city in the smog - but I am pretty proud of myself I am very good in orientating myself now.

In Wat Mahatat I found a monk that agreed to give me some meditation lessons tomorrow 1pm it starts. I am really lucky :-). I will of course report. Now I am faced with a pretty hard decision - should I stay longer in Bangkok to be able to get proper instructions in meditation? That I have found a monk ready to help me with it is a big gift. I will see by tomorrow - well the good thing here is there is no time pressure at all. Also was thinking depending how long it takes for me to get some practices in mediation - I should do a thai language course as well. I feel pretty bad that i cant even communicate the basic things here. One should be able to do so. This is respect one has to show to a country. So I see if i enroll into a language course so that I can at least get some basic communication sorted out here with the natives. Will be good anyway for me when I travel further in the countryside.

Tonight I met a polish girl and crazy a 100% thai - talking about their travelling experiences got some very good tips on what I should do. Crazy is going in one week to Denmark - I already told him that it will be a big change apart from the cold there. Lots of people wont respond his smile with a smile. Yeah, that is Europe very closed up - people always afraid. Even myself - I am step by step getting rid of it and it is a really good feeling.

That is it for today dont feel to write more - because I experienced so many things that need to be processed first before I can talk about them. Tomorrow I will see some more Wats walking around in this never sleeping city. Then some travelling on the rivers here and then MEDITATION!

My feet also cry for a thai massage I will get that tomorrow I think. Crazy told me that it is important to have 2-3 days break in between. I will of course do it - how can I disrespect a wish of a thai :-). Ah yes and I will buy thai balm tomorrow (best remedy against mosquitos especially when I go to Laos and other remote areas) and the real thai cigarettes called Kongtip...

All is getting better and better - feeling very relaxed and calm. Tomorrow I will put some pics in here I managed to figure out how that works - if I am not too lazy for it :-).

Mounara

a thai massage

I had yesterday again. 2 hours and that for 250 Bath which is 5 EURs. This is in Europe a good packet of cigarettes. I am addicted to it now and will go today again - it is too good. When I come back to Bangkok I possibly consider to do a thai massage course myself it is really a very interesting art of giving your body back your mobility.

Mounara

a pretty relaxed day

Not much happended today slept until 5 in the afternoon cause it was a heavy night :-). I guess I will go and get a thai massage pretty soon but before I have to play pool a bit with the guys here. I am a very bad pool player always loosing. That reminds me of a wonderful time I had with george in Cyprus in the Troodos mountains in the "Pinewood Valley Hotel". George always was a traditionalist and he went to that hotel with his parents already when he was a little boy. There we played everyday pool and once i managed to win (because George pitied me and on purpose lost). I also remember that we talked about our plans to go to India and even talked with the hotel manager an Indian married to a cypriot, where the best places are to go. Well I will go alone there in September...

So I like playing pool despite the fact that I am really bad at it - because it shows me that I am completely relaxed. It is very funny I used to plan and manage all day long and now I am busy to look in the card of Bangkok and just find my way through this chaotic city :-). I have so much valuable time and I am the boss to decide on what I am going to spend it. That is a pretty good feeling. I am now the manager of myself :-).

Possibly I go to a nice bar later - known for intellectuals the "Hemlock". Hopefully Ko will join me - we didnt manage to go to Chinatown because I overslept. I should do some planning as well where to go next but I have anyway so much time. I am pretty lazy. Until Sunday I will stay anyway in Bangkok but then I would like to go North - where you still can find the mountain tribes. Unfortunately they are not so untouched anymore - western civilisation is now everywhere.

Of that I was thinking when I saw a monk answering his mobile :-). I like to stand next to the monks they seem to be so happy and calm. Their energy is nice. Next what I will try is to put some photos here I have not figured out yet how that goes from my camera to the PC but it is possible. I just dont feel spending my time with technical things - never liked it. So I wait until I have found a nice guy explaining me how to do :-).

What else happened? Yeah I met a little elephant with his mahout. Unbelievable in this chaotic city these poor animals are running around. They are also victims of civilisation. They used to be very important for the people here. And I really like these animals - big but so intelligent and soft.

Mounara

Bangkok with a lot of faces

... As a good tourist I visited today The Grand Palace - a great place indeed with a lot of asians paraying to the smaraghd buddha and hoping for a good life because of that. As usually i went there by foot - to experience the scene of thailand. Bangkok by the way means "city of angels" and Thailand means "country of the free". Anyway that is only a site note. I had some nice time watching all these thai and chinese whorsipping the buddha and then getting some food on the various mobile kitches on the streets. They offer the best food by the way. At least one can see how it gets cooked - but well as a falang (foreigner) always important to say not to cook too hot. We are not used to it believe me - but overall the kitchen is really great here. The major learning I got from The Great Palace is how a good monarch should be - there are 10 rules for a good king that according to my opinion should apply to all humans:

1. Give (Danam)
2. right leadership (Silam)
3. personal readiness to sacrifice materially and spiritually (Pariccagam)
4. Honesty and freedom of superficiality (Ajjavam)
5. Friendliness and Humanity (Maddavam)
6. Concentration on the essential (Tapam)
7. Freedam of anger (Akkodham)
8. Freedom of evil (Avihisma)
9. Patience (Khati)
10. Avoid mistakes (Avirodhanam)

Then i went home and immediately I went to sleep. I still have not overcome this jetlag. But I am sure after I have finished this blog I will sleep well because I had some good drinks. I met some interesting people - the most interesting was Ko a woman her father a japanese her mother a thai. She told me about her 10 year old relationship with an italian that cheats on her all the time. I realized that i can feel pain of others quite heavily. She told me how to look right - as asian women do - to keep my back straight and always keep my cool. Loosing temper is not a good thing here - it is like loosing your faith. Indeed, a very good school for me as I am easily loosing my temper and like to give in to my emotions. It is surprising how women here endure their destiny with a smile - no resistance at all. How can this be? I would fight and shout if a man would cheat on me regularly but here it is different. They just endure their fate. On a site note: I enjoyed it a lot when she put her lipstick on my lips to take care that I look alright :-). Was a very nice feeling - too nice...

I guess I have to learn a lot! Anyway the good thing is as always I managed to get good contacts to the local people - and they will open up for me the real thai culture. About that I am very happy, I think I have a good soul because even asians see something good in my eyes. It will be interesting what happes tomorrow - I will visit chinatown with Ko. I am thankful for that and now I will go to bed.

Mounara

der jetlag...

...hat es verhindert, dass ich schlafen konnte. Macht auch nix - war die erste beim fruehstueck und hatte die Gelegenheit einem Chinsesen 5 min. beim Nasenboren zu beobachten. Mache mich nun mal auf um die Gegend hier zu checken und ein Paar Tempel zu besuchen.

Mounara

1st Day in Bangkok

Arrived but had terrible jetlag. First action was that my taxi driver couldnt find the hotel - finally i managed though. Went then straight to bed. The most important thing for today: I discovered the real thai redbull. It even has the same name but the bull looks different :-). So I guess I am saved! Watching now some films in the hotel lobby - will go to bed soon so that I can discover Bangkok tomorrow early - it is pretty hot!

Mounara

my journey

Today I am going. First I will discover Thailand to adapt myself to Asia - then I go on with Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma. If the political situation allows it I would like to see Tibet. Lets see if that is possible. And then India for quite a while. Dont plan to return before the end of 2008. I will have lots of fun! :-)

Mounara

soon i am gone...

As usual i packed my things in the last moment. And found out that my bag too small for the things i wanted to take with me so I had to meet a good friend that borrowed me hers. So I was saved and got an original peruan hot chocolate as well! :-)

Now in the train will meet some friends today in Vienna and tomorrow is the big day!

Mounara

Finding myself...

It was a pretty quick decision to just go and leave the past behind. So i am right now packing my things - only necessary things that one needs. I am going to see the world and learn about myself. In less than 3 days my plane will bring me to Bangkok. The time until that happens is strange - I am sad and then I am very happy.

I am sad for leaving people behind that I love. I am happy because I know I will learn so much and that I will get a lot of great and happy moments that no money in the world can buy. Words dont come easy to describe how I feel right now.

Soon I will see things clearly
Mounara