Carpe Diem!

Well, here I sit, approximately 6 months of traveling later, in the same seat where it all began. Outside, the grass is the same shade of half-green that it was late August of last year, and my faithful feline is once again lounging upon my desk. I’m a couple shades darker, and wear an elephant spangled bracelet from Thailand, along with an ankle bracelet as a reminder of my trip through Latin America. Perhaps I should have some wise words or tokens of insight to brandish in this closing blog. Perhaps, however, the sum of my experiences aren’t really something I wish to simplify or condense into something even so small as a blog post. I explored, saw incredible sights, met wonderful people, observed lifestyles vastly different from my own, and did everything I thought I would do and more than a couple things I thought I wouldn’t.

Going forward, I expect many things to change. I have a summer to work, perhaps in Verizon, and I hope to work on some personal ideas as well. Furthermore, I will be living on my own (as my parents will be in Oregon during the Summer), and subsisting on what I make during this summer which will be an adventure of itself. Not to mention, I will also be changing location yet again this fall as I transition to living in Boston, MA. In spite of all these changes, I feel they will pale in comparison to the variety of changes I have experienced over the past 6 months, and my excitement for the future outweighs any anxiety I may have felt.

I also want to take this opportunity to say something that I thought about while I was at a Buddhist retreat in Thailand. I thought of this, and wrote it out as follows: “Everyone has the ability to be anything, ultimately. You may wish to be one way, but if that path is difficult or unfitting, you can always create yourself. Your actions and words make you who you are, but your mind controls those actions, and ultimately you control your mind. You only have to be strong enough to be able to control your mind, and you can turn yourself into whatever you want or need to be. At a Meditation retreat with a Buddhist that has been meditating for over two decades I meditated for over 4 hours a day! I knew some of the things the Buddhist master taught, remembered some perspectives I had forgotten, and learned new ideas as well. He said, we all must change ourselves, to fit with our family, our friends, and those around us (not in a way that takes away individuality). Never let life get you down, my friends, because you only need to control your mind, change your perspective and see things objectively, not emotionally. Anyway, here are a few quotes I found interesting, “Those who give out longevity, health, happiness, and wisdom will be honored the same in return” and “If with a pure mind a person speaks or acts, happiness follows him like his never-departing shadow.””

I hope you have enjoyed following my adventures over the past 6 months, and I will continue to update my blog occasionally as I progress through the next chapter of my gap year. Furthermore, I hope that these thoughts hold meaning to you as well. They apply, I think, in almost every part of life. Changing your mind is the first step to creating your future. You just need to seize your mind, and then you can seize the day. Carpe Diem, my friends, Carpe Diem!

Tree-covered temple in the Ta Prohm temple complex

Buddhist Monks in training

House building in Kampot, Cambodia!

Mica trimming bamboo for the floor

Chessie playing with the locals

Learning how to float

Angkor Wat just after sunrise

I think the roots definitely add character

A jelly-fish pod of some sort..

Last night in Railay before flying back to Bangkok and home! Annika, Jessica, and Will

Back in Railay! Vista from the viewpoint

A Studiously Disruptive Student

            As a student, I think I am the studiously disruptive type. Sort of a Classy Class Clown (CCC), but if you ever call me a clown I would take offense. I am very attentive, but I am also disruptive in all the right times. For example, I would start whistling “Final Countdown” or one of the songs from the Rocky movies right before a Chemistry test. I always considered myself doing the class a favor, as I lightened the mood and doubtlessly raised the test scores by 5%..

 I only thought of this, because during the past few days here at the Homestay in Cambodia, I have spent the afternoons teaching at the Hope for Happiness school. It has been interesting to view the class from a teacher’s point of view, and see the spectrum of students from the quiet and attentive, to the loud and attentive, to even the loud and not-so-attentive. It is odd when an entire classroom is depending on you to use their time wisely and give them something valuable, while also making the class enjoyable. I have divided teaching into 3 steps. Step One: earn the students trust, Step Two: get the students to like you, Step 3: Tell the students something they don’t know. But, I’m sure you could skip Step 1 and 2 in a jiffy, though your success in getting them to listen to Step 3 would be less than guaranteed.

            I spent today working at a different nearby school, where my group and I worked with the students to shovel dirt into wicker baskets, and then haul the dirt into a square pad. We also trimmed down bamboo strips, which will be woven with thatch in the future, in order to make the roof of the hut we are building. Tomorrow the foundation will be laid with rocks and then filled in with concrete. The end result will be an open sided wicker hut, which will serve as a reading and studying location for the students.

            I suppose you might be marginally or extremely interested (depending on if you have familial ties with me or not) in what has occurred during the last 2 weeks of my life. For my devoted and extremely interested readers, I shall give you a quick brief on the last several weeks. (Isn’t the word “brief” interesting? It could mean the same thing as “quick” in which case I would have repeated myself, or it could mean “summary”. The latter definition was intended.) Anyway, from Hanoi, we zipped down to Hue, and then had a day-long Motorbike tour of all of Hue’s highlights, including the Forbidden Purple City (which is not-so-forbidden now). After Hue we drove down to Hoi An, which was everything I remembered, and didn’t remember. Hoi An is a quaint little town, with music playing on the streets, canals snaking underneath bridges, and coffee shops just waiting to serve you the perfect cup. I must say I had plenty of cups, and if you ever go to Hoi An, I suggest you go to the Cargo Club, Mango Rooms, Morning Glory, and also any restaurant that is along the canal. Furthermore, you couldn’t find a better place to get a suit, clothes, or shoes tailored. Several students in my group had outfits and shoes tailored from scratch. The shoes look incredibly nice, with authentic leather, and all tailored to any style from scratch for only 40$. I also rented a bike for 1$ a day, and zipped around town without much effort.

            After Hoi An we spent several days in Saigon, where we visited the War Remnants Museum, the Presidential Palace, and the Chu Chi tunnels. I wandered around and found some great Indian restaurants, and also spent an entire afternoon talking to a Scottish couple in a restaurant on top of a skyscraper. Saigon was bustling, with plenty of things to do at all times during the day and night. The final day in Vietnam before coming to Cambodia, we went on a 30 kilometer bike ride through southern Vietnam. We wove our way through countless rice fields, villages, and after crossing the Mekong river we hopped on a boat and spent the night on a marshy island. There we helped cook dinner, and swung in hammocks until we stumbled to bed for a night of sleep in sweltering humidity.

            Anyway, tomorrow is our last day in the Homestay here in Ang Tasom, Cambodia. After leaving here we head to Phenom Penh and Kampot for another couple days of building projects before heading to Siem Reap to view the world-renowned temples. I am attempting to cool down from a run that I went on about an hour ago, however I still feel as though I am sitting above a pot of boiling water inside an oven. A shower did not help much, because even the un-heated water is hot here, considering March is one of the hottest months of the year in Cambodia. Anyway, I hope all is well with my friends, family, and readers! Till next time!

Disclaimer: the pictures are not in order..

Boating across a river to our "marshy island" after a day of biking

Huge sand barge under the sun

Overlooking the river from a battle-station-hill in Hue

Japanese Covered Bridge in Hoi An

A beautiful sunset in Hoi An

Night Time-Lapse in Saigon

Students have to help build their own school in Cambodia!

Fruit Lady 

6 AM departure for Cambodia 

Rice barge going to a morning floating-market in southern Vietnam

Working on the school, (Alex getting skilled with that Hoe)

Back in 'Nam!

   How do you prefer to travel? By plane? Bus? Train? Planes are nice because they get you from point A to point B incredibly fast, but on the other hand, trains and busses allow you to look out the window and see the countryside roll by. Five years ago I flew from Hue to Hanoi, Vietnam, however today I am about to get on a 12 hour night-train from Hanoi to Hue. I will be able to solve once and for all which I prefer. I am looking forward to the gentle rock of the train, and waking up blurry-eyed occasionally to look out and watch the night-shrouded countryside flow by.

  After arriving in Vietnam I hopped straight onto the night-train up to Sapa. The steady creaking of the cabins, and the rock of the train might normally lull one to sleep, however the fact that 4 group-mates shared each cabin turned the ride into a wild affair, reminiscent of what you might expect a 9^th Grader’s sleep-over to look like.. Sapa, however, was a spectacular journey through terraced mountains, verdant valleys, and rivers dotted with swimming children (often with not a stitch of clothing).

   Sapa has grown quite a bit since I last visited, and soon a highway will be built connecting Hanoi to Sapa, opening up even more tourism. Already Sapa is becoming crowded with hotels, not to mention countless stores selling tourist trinkets and knock-off The North Face backpacks. Nonetheless, Sapa views are breathtaking, and the two-day trek through the countryside and surrounding villages provided great perspective on the lives of ethnic minorities in northern Vietnam. This time of year, all the fields are unplanted, leaving the people to make money through other means, which I am sure include getting tourists to buy their wares, bringing tourists on treks, and also dying textiles with indigo. The village women dye all their own clothes (in the more rural villages) and you seldom see a woman who does not have her hands slightly purple from the process.

  After Sapa, we hopped back down to Hanoi, and then over to Halong Bay for a 2 day boat trip. The ship meandered its way through pillars and cliffs of rock that dot the Bay, with stops for kayaking and cave exploration. There are numerous floating villages in the bay as well, so at every major stop in Halong Bay, the ship was rapidly surrounded by boats filled with drinks and snacks, which village women excitedly tried to sell. Often we found them to be overzealous in their attempts, and some of the members of my trip took to hiding behind the walls of the ship whenever the boats approached.

  This trip has been incredible thus far, however it certainly contains much less service work than I expected. The service opportunities are coming up during our period in Cambodia. Nonetheless, the trip has abounded in opportunities to engage in the local culture, and there are many free days, allowing me to structure my own schedule independently. It has been great and somewhat strange to visit the same places I traveled to with my family 5 years ago, and I have also taken the occasion to snap some before and after shots of myself in the exact same spots (including one of me hanging upside-down from the same tree in Hanoi). These pictures may, or may not, be posted.. Anyway, I have a train-ride awaiting! On to the Forbidden City in Hue, and then to the beautiful town of Hoi An. Till next time!

Will, looking majestic..

Lunch in Luang Prabang, overlooking the river

My mode of Transport, (looking mean on a flower-design bike..)

Sunset over the Mekong River 

View from my balcony of the sunrise and clouds filling the Valley below in Sapa, Vietnam. 

Terraced mountains and rice fields in Sapa

The ship parked in Halong Bay

Budding Nat Geo photographer (my trip guide Kevin) taking a photo of a gorgeous Arab lady (Brendon)

Vista over Halong Bay!

I didn't take a picture of the boat ladies on this trip, however here is a picture from 5 years depicting the same scene!

Chiang Mai to Laos!

            Well, where was I when I left you last? Chiang Mai I believe. Since then I have had an intrinsic exploration at a Buddhist retreat, where I meditated for over 4 hours a day; I received a clear mind and a sore bum from that experience. Really, I never expected I would be the kind to be capable of meditation, as I have a general urge to move and be constantly doing something. However, taking the time to sit, and have directed thought was much needed, and quite helpful. After which, we continued on from Chiang Mai to Laos, which involved a long van ride through gorgeous countryside dotted with rice fields. I only wish the van had stopped at a few points along the way so I could have snapped some pictures of the idyllic countryside. In Laos we took another van to Luang Nam Tha, where we stayed the night, recuperated, and prepared for a 3 day trekking trip the following day.

            My trek was provided through Green Discovery, and was led by an interesting man named Thon, who was a Monk for 12 years before becoming a wilderness guide. He has a 5-year-old boy, and when I asked him whether he wishes his son to become a Monk as well, he replied, “I’m not sure” with a chuckle. I suppose he was weighing all the years of sore-bumedness from meditation that his son would have to endure, against the clarity of mind he would receive. 

            The Trek itself was perhaps one of the most incredible sections of the trip thus far. Hiking through dense Laotian Jungle, eating lunch on Banana leaves, stepping over 8 inch-long centipedes, and then bursting from the jungle into the occasional rice field made for an incredible experience of rural Laos. For the first two nights we stayed in indigenous villages, where we stayed in a relatively large, thatch-roofed hut by the Nam Tha River. Pigs, chickens, dogs, and equally-naked children ran between the huts and along the river bank. In fact, for one of our river crossings, two little boys manned the canoe across the river, giving not the slightest care of the fact that they wore not a stitch of clothing.

            The second night of the trip, two of my companions and I were sitting around a campfire with some of the locals, when 3 boys came up carrying harpoons and gesturing for me to follow. Curious, and somewhat surprised, we followed them for a 10-minute walk through the jungle and along the riverbank, where we stopped and they promptly built a bonfire of leaves, sticks, and bamboo. After this, they promptly stripped to their underwear, donned masks, grabbed their flashlights and harpoons, and stepped into the water. You might think that this isn’t such a difficult task, considering it is Laos, and you are all doubtlessly imagining an unbearably hot and humid jungle-atmosphere. This is not the case at night, and the river is quite cold, so I was amazed at the chutzpa these kids had. I would have been shivering and freezing in the first minute… 20 minutes later the boys returned, carrying a small fish in one of their bags. We hurried back to the fire, stoked up the flames, and stuffed the fish into the coals. 5 minutes later we were passing around a fresh caught fish, each of us taking a small piece.

            The final day of the trek we spent kayaking down the Nam Tha River. I once again had to figure out how to use a two-person inflatable kayak without simply spinning down the river in circles. That was all I managed to do with my companion, Alex, on one of our kayaking trips in Tena, Ecuador.. However, my Harvard-bound companion, Oliver, and I managed to figure it out after several minutes, and we were soon gliding in a straight line down the river. Trust me, it is far more difficult than it looks.. Ultimate lesson: never underestimate the capabilities of a Babson and Harvard bound team when they put their minds together. ;)

            I am currently on a boat gliding down the Mekong River. We have two days travelling down the Mekong River until we reach Luang Prabang, where we will stay 2 days before flying to Vietnam. I am quite excited for Vietnam, because many of the places I will visit will be somewhat familiar territory, and places I once visited with my family. I’m listening, of course, to music. This time, to Elton John, and some of his songs remind me of home and my friends, so I’d like to shout-out to them. The time difference makes it much harder to talk or message at the same time, but I still think of you all the time. Hope all is well! Till next time my friends, family, and readers!

(This post was written a couple days ago, I rented a bike and have been Cafe hopping in Luang Prabang trying to find WiFi fast enough to post this. I just ended up at Joma Bakery and Cafe, but still the WiFi is extremely slow, and it took me 10 minutes to upload this one photo. Unless I find faster WiFi here in Luang Prabang, the pictures will have to wait till I arrive in Hanoi, Vietnam! Also, an incredible coincidence, sitting here in Joma Cafe, Elton John's song "Tiny Dancer" just came on! And I was just writing about listening to this song 3 days ago...)

Attaining a clear mind, and a sore bum

Peace, guys, peace.

One of the villages during the Trek

One pig, two pig, 3 pig. . . Eight!

One of the Canoe crossings

The boys about to start fishing!

Cooking a fish in the Bonfire (took me a while to get this perfect fire pic) ;)

Looking down on the Mekong 

Country cows

Passing around the fresh fish!

Boating down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang