Hello long lost followers! I hope that my absence hasn't caused you all to forget about my little story. But I'll do my best to catch you up on my recent travels and busy lifestyle.
So I left having finished my classes in Leiden and about to journey to another part of the world, ASIA! In between Leiden and my final term in Bangkok, I had the amazing opportunity to visit my cousin Tenzin Legtsok in India, where he lives as a Buddhist monk. Beginning the trip with no other expectations than to see his world, I left the country feeling amazed, peaceful, and rejuvenated. Legtsok opened his home to me and I got to experience a part of his daily life at the monastery, do a bit of traveling within India and visit with his Indian and ex-pat friends and students in Bangalore.
From the moment I landed in the foreign place, I was amazed at the colors, sights and energy of the country. India is different than anywhere I have ever traveled and I fell in love. Legtsok spoke with me about Buddhist beliefs and practice while I read a book on meditation. We offered rupees and prayers from my Aunt Carol, made an amazing lunch for his house mates and had a picnic watching the sunset over the jungle, among other adventures. I guess the best way to describe it was absolutely peaceful in every way. Head, heart and all.
Indian man praying in front of the Hindu temple
Tibetan prayer flags
Picking pepper
Afternoon with the monks..
Door to the temple
After my amazing experience in India, I traveled into the war zone known as Bangkok. I arrived on May 18th, the day the government cracked down on the protesters that had been disrupting the city for months. I was picked up by the school and hurried 3 hours south to Hua Hin, a cozy beach town where the undergraduate Webster campus is located. From that day on Bangkok's disruptions got better and I moved back to the city a month later. However, the beach town wasn't too bad for a month either :)
My final term in Thailand is best described as busy, overwhelming and a bit dramatic. For most, a master's degree entails a thesis paper, which usually takes a few months to write. I was assigned a mini-thesis (turning out to be 50 pages), as well as two other classes. This means that I wrote roughly 90 pages in two months, by far the most ever for me. I will say that I learned a lot! Which I guess achieves the purpose in the end :) I really enjoyed my topic, which was the debate between international museums and the source nations of artefacts. Making the work a bit less gruesome, haha.
Other than all of this boring talk of work, Thailand is a wonderful place. I will share a few highlights of some day trips around Thailand and one amazing week on Koh Phangnan island, where I spent the week on the beach, in yoga classes and with amazing people from around the world. Enjoy :)
Meditation Retreat
Tiger Temple with the cubbies :)
Buddhist offerings in the middle of a Bangkok market..
The teenage elephant..
Meditation Retreat with the monks.
They named me Ma-Li, meaning Jasmine in Thai.
Buddhist ritual in Ayuttaya
Las chicas from around the world :)
The beach bird... He woke me up most mornings outside my bungalow.
I even caught him stealing food from my neighbors...
Sunset over the islands, followed by a terrific lightning storm!
Sunday painting at the Ancient City in Bangkok
As many of you may know through the grape vine, I am not blessing the United States with my presence anytime soon. Rather I am staying here in Bangkok to take on an internship with my dream UN org, UNESCO. (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) In order to renew my visa in Thailand, I was 'forced' to take a trip across the border to Siem Reap, Cambodia :) This is home to Angkor Wat, one of the most famous temples in SE Asia, restoration site of UNESCO, and also made several appearances in my research during my degree.
The famous Angkor Wat
I traveled alone via, moto, metro, taxi, bus, tuk tuk, taxi, and one last moto to finally arrive, 10 hours later, at my hotel. (Traveling in Asia is something unexplainable, you simply have to experience it...)
Parasite tree taking over the ruins
But don't worry, UNESCO to the rescue!
I spent two days exploring, climbing and sketching within the ancient temples. I had a fabulous time. I talked with several Cambodians to get a feel for their culture, which is both similar and quite different than Thailand's. We chatted about Cambodian history, politics, culture, language and Khmer mysticism. I loved it! I do think the Khmer food has thai food beat. Similar ingredients but less spicey! It was great. If you ever get the chance, try the Amok. mmmmm
Penguin kisses with the Buddha at the Bayon Temple
cute Khmer boy
All in all, I feel extremely blessed.
And because I've been so out of touch with my blog, I have decided to change it a bit. I would like to make it a daily picture blog, with a snapshot of my daily life in Bangkok. So you can watch for these now!
Until tomorrow,
xoxox
Amy
Taken out to lunch @ Nara, by my supervisor as a welcome to work :)
A little public transport in Bangkok..
Taken out to lunch @ Nara, by my supervisor as a welcome to work :)
A little public transport in Bangkok..
Sunday Painting at Attic Studios
