TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD: Our Tales of Delights and Disasters Read Online Free PDF
Author: Shelley Row
extraordinary.
While this sentiment may be shared by the people in Cairo and Bangkok, we were also struck by the contradictions between Bangkok and Cairo. In Cairo, the appearance of the people, their dark hair and eyes, and the wielding of clubs, presented an uncomfortable impression. Yet they were polite and kind. The Thai people – delicate, diminutive, and graceful – give an impression of graciousness, but put them behind the wheel of any motorized contraption and watch out! I’m not sure whether I felt more threatened by tanks in Giza or crossing the street in Bangkok. Both held equally deadly weapons. Cars and motorcycles zipped past with only occasional acknowledgment of a pedestrian. To cross the street, we congregated with others on the curb – preferably locals – and dashed when they dashed.
The other contradiction is the image of Thailand as green, peaceful and temple-filled. And it is. However, Bangkok is a hectic city with all the difficulties that accompany large, urban areas. Masses of electrical cables are strung along crowded streets, and sidewalks are filled with cart after cart of vendors selling any kind of food you can imagine and many you can’t imagine. Streets are packed with traffic – bumper to bumper –and the air pollution that accompanies them. At major intersections, dozens of motorcycles crowd the front of the queue while their tail pipes spout concentrated smoke. As I ran along these streets to reach the peace of a large park, I quickly learned to inhale as little as possible. The park was a welcome oasis in this huge city. I enjoyed practicing chi gong in the park knowing that no one would find it odd.
There have also been many small, pleasant things about the Thais. For example, they have a delightful custom of folding their hands and bowing slightly to speak a welcome, thank you, or whatever. It is charming. And it can be amusing, too. The tiny, young woman who cleans our room nearly dropped an armload of linens in order to fold hands and bow. Mike asked to take her picture. She and her co-worked reacted as thought they won the lottery. They were thrilled and said that no one had ever asked for their picture before. So cute.
I could do without the air pollution and the noise from the street, but I loved our introduction to Bangkok – its sparkling color, graceful beauty and Buddhas, and, of course, the massages.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Here a Monk, There a Monk
Of the population of Thailand, 95% are Buddhist but only a few practice strictly. In our short visit, we saw countless temples (there are 30,000 in Thailand) elaborately decorated and plentiful images of Buddha – all smiling and serene. For some reason, Mike and I were unprepared for the prevalence of the monks. We expected them to be tucked away and glimpsed fleetingly. We were wrong.
Everywhere there were orange robes against tan skin and bald heads. Some robes were bright orange with yellow sashes and others were burnt orange. We were told that some monks live in the forest and their robes are brown. We saw small robed boys, old men, stooped and small, and all ages in between.
It was explained that practicing Buddhists have five rules:
1. No killing
2. No stealing
3. No adultery
4. No lying
5. No alcohol
The monks, however, have 227 rules.
We saw monks at the temples and along the streets collecting their daily alms in the early morning (donations are their only way of surviving). In the temples, they offered blessings to small groups of barefoot, kneeling people by dipping a small, round wicker brush (like a round whisk) into water and sprinkling the people. Mike and I went to the large temple, Doi Suthep, on the hilltop in Chiang Mai, and we had the opportunity to be blessed by a monk sitting cross-legged in a chair. Afterward, with a donation, he tied a simple white yarn around the wrist of those blessed. I was passed to a helper as monks are not allowed to touch a
While this sentiment may be shared by the people in Cairo and Bangkok, we were also struck by the contradictions between Bangkok and Cairo. In Cairo, the appearance of the people, their dark hair and eyes, and the wielding of clubs, presented an uncomfortable impression. Yet they were polite and kind. The Thai people – delicate, diminutive, and graceful – give an impression of graciousness, but put them behind the wheel of any motorized contraption and watch out! I’m not sure whether I felt more threatened by tanks in Giza or crossing the street in Bangkok. Both held equally deadly weapons. Cars and motorcycles zipped past with only occasional acknowledgment of a pedestrian. To cross the street, we congregated with others on the curb – preferably locals – and dashed when they dashed.
The other contradiction is the image of Thailand as green, peaceful and temple-filled. And it is. However, Bangkok is a hectic city with all the difficulties that accompany large, urban areas. Masses of electrical cables are strung along crowded streets, and sidewalks are filled with cart after cart of vendors selling any kind of food you can imagine and many you can’t imagine. Streets are packed with traffic – bumper to bumper –and the air pollution that accompanies them. At major intersections, dozens of motorcycles crowd the front of the queue while their tail pipes spout concentrated smoke. As I ran along these streets to reach the peace of a large park, I quickly learned to inhale as little as possible. The park was a welcome oasis in this huge city. I enjoyed practicing chi gong in the park knowing that no one would find it odd.
There have also been many small, pleasant things about the Thais. For example, they have a delightful custom of folding their hands and bowing slightly to speak a welcome, thank you, or whatever. It is charming. And it can be amusing, too. The tiny, young woman who cleans our room nearly dropped an armload of linens in order to fold hands and bow. Mike asked to take her picture. She and her co-worked reacted as thought they won the lottery. They were thrilled and said that no one had ever asked for their picture before. So cute.
I could do without the air pollution and the noise from the street, but I loved our introduction to Bangkok – its sparkling color, graceful beauty and Buddhas, and, of course, the massages.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Here a Monk, There a Monk
Of the population of Thailand, 95% are Buddhist but only a few practice strictly. In our short visit, we saw countless temples (there are 30,000 in Thailand) elaborately decorated and plentiful images of Buddha – all smiling and serene. For some reason, Mike and I were unprepared for the prevalence of the monks. We expected them to be tucked away and glimpsed fleetingly. We were wrong.
Everywhere there were orange robes against tan skin and bald heads. Some robes were bright orange with yellow sashes and others were burnt orange. We were told that some monks live in the forest and their robes are brown. We saw small robed boys, old men, stooped and small, and all ages in between.
It was explained that practicing Buddhists have five rules:
1. No killing
2. No stealing
3. No adultery
4. No lying
5. No alcohol
The monks, however, have 227 rules.
We saw monks at the temples and along the streets collecting their daily alms in the early morning (donations are their only way of surviving). In the temples, they offered blessings to small groups of barefoot, kneeling people by dipping a small, round wicker brush (like a round whisk) into water and sprinkling the people. Mike and I went to the large temple, Doi Suthep, on the hilltop in Chiang Mai, and we had the opportunity to be blessed by a monk sitting cross-legged in a chair. Afterward, with a donation, he tied a simple white yarn around the wrist of those blessed. I was passed to a helper as monks are not allowed to touch a
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