So What Did I Learn in 2005?

I guess this is the classic question bloggers all over the world is asking themselve, eh?

Do I have a satisfying answer? Hmm....

2005 has been billed by many as the year of, well, many bad things to be remembered. I quite agreed. In fact, I wrote in before the journalists put it in their year-end review even! It was in the first chapter of my thesis. I borrowed Queen Elizabeth II's term when she called 1992 as her Annus Horribilus year.

Hurricanes, earthquakes, war, terrrorism, etc. The world has been an unhappy place indeed in 2005.

I did grow up quite a bit, I think. Figuratively. From all the things I did. I think I worked quite hard this year: teaching at Chula, volunteering in Chiangmai, writing for Bangkok Post, studying & taking Japanese exam, studying & taking Buddhist Studies exam and translating a book. This has left me very little time to make more progress on my thesis as it should have been.

Nevertheless, I think I made up for it in December when I think I started to speed up on my thesis and sort of start to put things in perspective and attack the books again with more gusto, planning it again in more details, entering the football field with more game plan, so to speak. I feel pretty good about it, actually.

Not that I can see that the end is near in sight. In fact, I think it's still very far from the end. But at least it's moving. Everyday. And that alone means so much to me already. Because the fact that it didn't go anywhere all year made me so stressed.

Another really good news to cap off the end of the year is that I got a research grant from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science to do research at Waseda University next year for several months! Cool! Ooh, I can't wait! I love Japan. And I really want to make the best out of my trip there.

Well, what did I learn, in light of Buddhism? I learn that there is suffering everywhere in every stage of life of human being. Even in the middle of happiness, there is suffering. I also learn that I should try harder on my mindfulness practice. And I found that I could push myself to give food to the monk every morning if I really want to. And that makes me feel great.

I also learn to let go of many things, one being books. Normally I love books and I hold on to all my books as if it's my dear life. But this year I donated my books to my university library twice already and I felt good about it.

I also learn to let go about my feelings. I learn to let go of the fact that I should not expect too much from people. Many people would simple not be ready to go to meditation. I promoted the course in Chiangmai much less this year. I didn't know whether it was out of my laziness or whether it was because i knew better about people. Well, I hope it's the latter!

Hmm...what else? Let's leave it as this for now. If I could think of anything else, I would add again. For now, happy new year to anyone who comes across this blog. May you be happy, healthy, and free from suffering. And may 2006 be the year that you live and learn to your fullest capacity! :)

Just Back from October Retreat

I'm back, folks! Oh, how I miss you all. :)

It's dreadful to see how much work is piling on my desk. After one full week of dedicating myself for a very good cause, how I wish i could have had a magic wand to wave off all the overdue work from my desk! hee hee hee

Anyway, going to Chiangmai is always good to me. Not only the clean weather purified my lung that desperately needs something fresh, crisp and clean, but the meditation itself sort of cool me down tremendously. And although i tried hard not to believe in miracle, it did happen again. I could translate almost a whole chapter of the monk's book that has been stranding me for months!

Well, come to think about it, he DID ask me to meditate first before I translate so that I could "unlock the hidden code" in his writing properly. I don't know yet whether i could unlock it properly or not, but I did unlock it all right. If I didn't choose to spend time helping out and meditating as much as I did this time, I swore I could have finished translating the whole book while I was there! And if this is not a miracle, then what is? Suddenly my brain is working again! How awfully nice! As if something jumped starting it. I hope nothing stops it again. At least not yet. heh-heh

Well, what else. The weather was good. The food was excellent. No, it was Michelin Guide's Five-Star's Extraordinary I had such a hard time trying to control myself not to overeat! I had to ask my teacher whether it was me alone that felt the food tasted even better (how could it be, it was already so good before), and the teacher said, yes, it tasted even better. Must be the sweeter taste of winter-time vegetables, you see. The northern charm never ceases to amaze me. And I could sleep very well like a baby without having to use any medication at all. That in itself is another miracle, given my medical history!

And plenty of exercise for me, too. Beside leading the morning exercise. Oh, yes, I lead the ancient Chinese exercise with mindfulness in the morning. Sort of moving meditation before walking meditation and sitting meditation. That is before sunrise. It was serene. I love this before-dawn session when things are totally quiet except for occasional rooster croaking and fish jumping from the surrounding pond and (very) early birds chirping. In the distant forest the sounds of night time insects still prevails. Oh, the beauty of nature at its simplicity. I really, really don't want to come back to Bangkok. Really.

Then, there are other pluses in this course. What made it even more special to me is that I got to do what I love to do most--to bring people who have been kind to me, who have cared for me, who have given me my knowledge, who have made me what i have, to meditate in Chiangmai. This trip i got to bring two of my high school teachers, and one made it through the end of this 7 days course. Although it is designed for people of all age and health history, it is not for the fainted heart. You really have to have certain determination to complete the course. It is not designed for, in short, a quitter.

My teacher in Chiangmai always said that those who have completed this course would always be able to achieve anything thereafter in their life because once you can learn how to get over your mental barrier, you will know how to achieve almost anything. Well, at least the Dhamma or the wisdom that would come to your mind will show to you your true nature, your true limit. You will know your capability and you will know how to get what you want and when to stop and how to treat your heart and let go smartly and bravely when you get disappointed, etc.

It is a boot-camp designed for the braves in my opinion, almost like a US navy's elite SEAL training course, if you ask me. The physical training may not be that vigorous, but the mental training will be equally hard. First you have to learn how to conquer the enemy within. And that's your own mind. And that, ladies and gentlemen, would be the title of my dissertation, "Taming the enemy within: Round-the-Clock Mindfulness Training of Samurai in Japan during Peace Time (Tokugawa Period)" Bansai! (Not Kanpai!)

Sayonara!

Oops, almost forgot, the photos.

Here is me with my high school teacher at Chiangmai Airport on the way back to Bangkok. Sorry I was really busy working during the course and no time to take photos at all. This one was also taken in a hurry by myself with my Sony-Ericsson k750i phone while we are walking to board the plane back and i realized I didn't have a photo of me and my teacher for my blog!

Me and my student that just graduated from a master's program at Chula. She just lost her mom during the semester and felt down and i cheered her up and she ended up bringing her elder sister along also. Both of them felt better and happier at the end of the course and of course I was very happy about it.

Life is so uncertain. Please don't wait until you lose your mother until you think about attending a meditation course. Because most people would want to go home and tell their mom how happy they are and want to bring their mom along also next time. Well, at least i did. And my mom loved every minute of it.

A Note from a Recovering Ward...

A recovering me saying hi to all of you via my camera phone... (Obviously a lousy self-portrait ). Hey, I'm not Mr. Van Gogh, ok?

Do you believe in the power of love? Oops, wrong heading! hee hee hee There! At least I got your attention, right? Well, nothing much. I'd just finished my final Japanese language exam and would like to say hi and thanks to you all who were kind enough to send emails or call. With the power of your positive vibes, I recovered fast. Although still basically frail and tired and having a few more diseases to tackle, namely fibromyoalgia (don't trust my spelling), I'm struggling along just fine.

Life is short and so full of exams, my friends. The real ones and the daily ones. I still have to be the one who give exams to my Chula students on the 24th. May the forces be with them! Oh, how I enjoy designing my exam for others!

Then, on November 20-21, I have my ธรรมศึกษาโท exam. You know, the same one like the Thai monks' นักธรรมโท. But theoretically, and I repeat, theoretically, before that I should have gone up to defend the title of my dissertation at Ram U (what a nice abbreviation for my school, eh?) by Oct 31, the Halloween.

And as if life is not beautiful enough, I am taking the Japanese equivalence of TOEFL exam on December 4. Don't cry for me, Japan. Luckily, like all things Japanese, the system is quite rigid. You have to climb up the corporate ladder. So what I would take would be like the primary school, grade 1, kind of language exam. (Or so i think!) Only 100 kanji (Chinese-based Japanese letters) and 800 Japanese words, plus some basic (that's what they think) grammar. Did I mention the listening comprehension, too? Ooh, this would be the most interesting part. Because although I recently invested in subscribing to the NHK channel and found out that I'm pretty hopeless, to put it nicely.

Anyway, life goes on, until it ends. Wow! This is the one for the quotation book! So my friends, if I die please help put this quote and my name in the quotation book for me, too! Wait, why do I have to wait until I die? May be some editor will see this quote and quote me someday and I'll be famous and win my Nobel Prize for Literature. No, the Nobel Peace Prize sounds sexier, don't you think?, considering the list of previous winners. You know, Dalai Lama, Henry Kissinger, etc...

My best wishes to all of you to the trials and tests you have to go through in your own daily life, my friends. For me, I have plenty. And, believe me, it's much more difficult than my Japanese language exam. Last, but not at all least, I don't know how much longer I will live, folks. So, if you haven't don't so, please book your vacation to spend some time to >> meditate in Chiangmai << with me. It's probably the last thing I can do in this life to thank you as a friend for everything you did for me in this life and previous lives, about which both of us conveniently forgot.

Time is running out. Tick..Tock...Tick...Tock...Tick...Tock....

Asalha Bucha

Dhamma Day
by Anthony Flanagan,

Dhamma (or Asalha) Day is one of Theravada Buddhism's most important festivals. It celebrates the Buddha's teachings, which were first given to the world shortly after his enlightenment. This first sermon is often referred to as 'Setting into Motion the Wheel of Dhamma'. In this context the word dhamma means teaching or doctrine which is encapsulated for Buddhists in the four noble truths.

Four Noble Truths

These represent the bedrock of Buddhist thought and practice. In them the Buddha explains that the world is a place of suffering and dissatisfaction (dukkha) and that this suffering is caused by craving (tanha).


He goes on to explain that there is a 'state' beyond suffering and craving he terms nibbana - which is synonymous with enlightenment - and that this can be attained to by following the eightfold path. Whatever differences there may be between various schools and traditions of Buddhism, the four noble truths remain at the core, sold and firm.

This first sermon was not delivered to fervent multitudes hungry for the Buddha's message. On the contrary, there were only five people present, his former associates whom he had abandoned when he realized that extreme mortification was not conducive to winning enlightenment. As the Buddha approached them, they were no doubt cynical, thinking that he had abandoned the quest for sensual pleasure. However, it soon became apparent that the Buddha was different in some way and they were quickly convinced that he had found true enlightenment, the ascetic named Kondanna in particular.

The Rainy Season

In early Buddhism, the time around what has now become Dhamma Day - the eight lunar month in the traditional Indian calendar - marked the beginning of the rainy season. At this point, the Buddha and his monks and nuns would suspend their itinerant lifestyle for a period of three months. They would retire to a monastery until the monsoon season was over. This was a time for further meditation and reflection. At the end of this, they would resume their wandering, passing on the Buddha's teachings to all who were interested.

The Essence

Along with Buddha Day, Dhamma Day celebrates the very essence of what Buddhism is about. It also celebrates the day on which the compassionate Buddha, at a specific time and a specific place, brought to the world a simple but nonetheless incredible teaching that would offer an explanation of the nature of existence and a means of bringing suffering to an end.

My Beautiful Mom

My Beautiful Mom
Originally uploaded by nashara.

It's a weekend and I miss my mom. :) Gonna call her today.

Monday Moaning...

DSC_9979
Originally uploaded by junku.

I've got so much to do today! Gosh!

I found this cute picture on Flickr from my favorite photographer, Junku.

How I wish I could have such a neat working station just like him! So clutter-free! What's his secret?!

And how I wish I have such a cute, expressive cat looking at me working like this Miss Fuwari, his lovely cat!

Sunny Sunday

JAP88_739
Originally uploaded by MicMacPics1.

Yes, time flies.

And by the time I realize it, it's another Sunday!

But Sunday doesn't mean relaxing for me. A Ph.D. student's work never ends!

I'm gonna call my mom also today. Have been missing her a lot lately.

As for this picture, I chose it not because I like its zen-like look, but I feel it's very Sunday-ish. :)

So, dear readers, may your Sundays be peaceful and sunny like this picture! :)

Take A Break

DSC_1476
Originally uploaded by junku.

I saw this photo in an online album at Flickr by a Japanese young man who is really gifted in photography. He has great of sense of humor, too. Just look at the pictures of his cats!

I don't know what the drink in the glass is but it sure makes me thirsty! It also reminds me of my afternoon beverage break at my latest meditation retreat in Chiangmai.

At that time, no food was allowed after mid-day. In the afternoon when we felt hot and tired, all we could have was certain beverage only. And red syrup was one of them. Personally, I prefer the green syrup (cream soda) rather than the red (Sala flavor). But seeing this picture by Junku, I wouldn't mind having a red one. Now! :)

We all need a break now and then, eh?

Brain Excercise Helps Prevent Alzheimer's

WASHINGTON - AP Exercise your brain. Nourish it well. And the earlier you start, the better. That's the best advice doctors can yet offer to ward off Alzheimer's disease.

There's no guarantee. But more and more research shows that some fairly simple steps can truly lower your risk of the deadly dementia. Also, if Alzheimer's strikes anyway, people who have followed this advice tend to do better - their brains withstand the attack longer before symptoms become obvious. The goal: build up what's called a "cognitive reserve."

"Cognitive reserve is not something you're born with," Dr. Yaakov Stern of Columbia University told a meeting of Alzheimer's researchers Monday. "It's something that changes, and can be modified over time." In fact, there's now enough research backing this theory that the Alzheimer's Association is offering free classes around the country to teach people - of any age, but especially baby boomers - just how to do it.

They call it "maintain your brain." "There is tremendous interest in making sure that by the time you're 80, your brain is there with you," explains California psychologist Elizabeth Edgerly, who leads the program. A healthy brain weighs about 2 pounds, roughly the size of a cauliflower. Networks of blood vessels keep oxygen flowing to 100 billion brain cells. Branch-like tentacles extend from the ends of those cells, the brain's own specialized wiring to communicate. Under a microscope, they look like bushy hairs.

A healthy brain can continue to grow new neurons and rewire and adapt itself throughout old age - and you want your brain to be as bushy as possible. That growth starts in childhood, when parents read to tots, and depends heavily on getting lots of education. The less educated have double the risk of getting Alzheimer's decades later than people with a college education.

Likewise, people who are less educated and have a not-so-challenging job have three to four times the risk of getting Alzheimer's, Stern says. If you're already 40, don't despair. What's the advice? -Your brain is like a muscle - use it or lose it. Brain scans show that when people use their brains in unusual ways, more blood flows into different neural regions and new connections form.

Do a new type of puzzle, learn to play chess, take a foreign language class or solve a vexing problem at work. Try to challenge your brain daily, Edgerly advises. -A healthy brain isn't just an intellectual one. Social stimulation is crucial, too. Don't sit in front of the television. People who are part of a group, whether it's a church or a book club, age healthier.

Declining social interaction predicts declining cognitive function, new government research shows. -So do stress and anxiety. People who have what's called chronic distress - extreme worriers - are twice as likely to develop some form of dementia, reports Dr. Robert Wilson of Rush University Medical Center. Why? Autopsies show these people actually had fewer bush-like tentacles, or dendrites, linking their brain cells, meaning their brains were more vulnerable when disease struck. It's not clear if someone can reverse a lifetime of worry and anxiety, but animal studies suggest exercise eases the effects of this kind of stress.

Getting physical is crucial also. Bad memory is linked to heart disease and diabetes, because clogged arteries slow blood flow in the brain. Elderly people who were less mentally and physically active in middle age are about three times as likely to get Alzheimer's as they gray. A study from Sweden found the obese are twice as likely to get Alzheimer's. Go for the triple-whammy of something mentally, physically and socially stimulating all at once: Coach your child's ball team. Take a dance class. Strategize a round of golf.

And don't forget diet. The same foods that are heart-healthy are brain-healthy, so avoid artery-clogging saturated fat and try for omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and nuts. Eat dark-skinned fruits and vegetables, which are particularly high in brain-healthy vitamins E and C. Harvard researchers found eating dark green leafy vegetables like spinach improves cognitive function. Also, B vitamins and folic acid, found in cereals, breads and fruits like strawberries, are important for brain health.

----- EDITOR'S NOTE - Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press. ----- On the Net: Alzheimer's Association: http://www.alz.org

My Interview with Priew Magazine

A Preview of my upcoming interview in Priew Magazine, June Issue.

I feel sympathetic to the camera man who had to try his best to find an angle to shoot me in such a way that I don't look so huge like a sumo I have become in the past year! That reminds me I have to go down to walk/jog a bit to make myself ready for this afternoon's Samurai sword session where Priew magazine will be taking more photos and more interview. For more on my samurai sword lesson, see my Japan page.

What are they asking me about? Well, the columnist used to interview me a few years back when she was with Poo Ying magazine and when I was still working in an advertising agency. She would like to focus on how my life has changed now that I choose a totally different career path from what I used to do.

If you followed my blogs, you would probably have known the answer. Anyway, once she gives me the manuscript for editing purpose, I'll come back to share with you all again.

Why do I give an interview? Doesn't a dhamma-oriented life mean I have to stay low profile and shun all possible fame or recognition? Well, the interview is not for me, you see. I've been in the media business long enough to know about gossips and how people will always find fault with you no matter what you do. To have you story told, your photos published is the fastest way to ruin your reputation. In today's marketing economy, they would probably assume you are trying to sell something.

Well, as I said, the interview is not for me. It's my humble attempt to reach out to the mass who might have not gone to a total-training in mindfulness meditation otherwise. Yes, it's aimed at people like me who in the past thought that I was too busy to spend 7 days in a meditation retreat. It was nothing short of a magic, you see, because human mind can unleash something extraordinary that only you yourself can discover.

You can not read about it. You can not imagine it up. It's not about sitting with your eyes closed and trying to be peaceful. It's so far from that! The total mind-body training experience that Lord Buddha went through is yours to discover. All you need is your determination. It is not something for the aging, the sick or the losers. It's for all of us and it will benefit your right away, not to mention a long-term benefit into the future.

If you choose to believe in samsara and the existence of past life and next like I do, this mindfulness meditation (a.k.a. Vipassana) can even benefit you way into your future lives.
Now, that's one coverage no insurance company can give you. But it is guaranteed by Lord Buddha. He doesn't ask you to believe him. That's the beauty of it. He asks you to try for yourself. Then, it's up to you what you would think afterwards.

In the past 2,548 years, nobody has disputed the benefit of mindfulness meditation so far. It's up to you, really. I also knew from my experience that not everybody will be able to make it to the training. I know why. Do you?

Searching for Theories

I found the following picture, titled "Universe and Man," today while I was searching for related theories for my dissertation. (For latest update on my theory-related effort, please visit http://myphilos.blogspot.com )

I like the picture instantly--the color combination, the line, the composition, the story it tells, etc. It reminds me of a very colorful book on astrology I have. Fantasy-like pictures like this always mesmerize me and sort of make me relaxed. I don't know why. May be I studied too hard today. heh-heh (Not happens very often!)

Do you like this picture, too, my dear readers? Feel free to leave your comments either in the tag-board on the right or by clicking the comments link below. In a way it also reminds me of a tarot card (ไพ่ยิบซี). I didn't read about the card for awhile so I'm not sure which particular card it is. Well, in light of my workload now, it'd better be a good one! hee hee hee :)

Monet, Renoir and Dimsum

I just came back from a wonderful albeit brief trip to Hong Kong to visit the temples and, yes, to have some Dimsum and shopping. For temple photos & story, please visit http://mymeditation.blogspot.com

As a good internet buff, I checked out with HK Tourism Board's web site before I went and found that the island is hosting as many as 50 Impressionism Painting of the Grandmasters from France!

It could not be sweeter that my hotel, Kowloon Hotel, happens to be 10 minutes' walk from HK Museum of Arts where the paintings were displayed! What a coincidence!

So, one afternoon after temple visit and a little shopping, we took our stuff back to the hotel and decided to change wha we were wearing to look a little bit more "cultured" and drop by the museum. The line into the museum itself was not long altough there are steady stream of people coming but the line to get the automatic audio tour is as slow as a snail!

The show itself was so-so although I was excited to see the paintings real close with no glass cover. I like to study people's signature (just for fun), you see, so I had a ball looking at those grand master's signature on the canvas. What I like about the show is the exhibit they set up like a movie set or theatre set. You can literally walk through that period in France and I thtink the details behind it is cool.

Here are the picture of my visit to the museum and to JW Mariott for a Dimsum lunch. I'll be back to rattle on about it later. Enjoy the photos!

The pic is a replica (the real one is in another room and you can't take picture of it!) of Edgar Degas's The Dance Class. Does it look like I'm standing in the picture? hee hee hee



Me standing in front of a scene from Paris. It looks like the cool and chic Bastille area to me. Although the site of France's revolution, Bastille's streets are now lined up with uber-chic shops, pubs and bars targeted the eclectic youth in the late 90s. Jean-Paul Gautier was the first big-name designer to open his shop there but soon was followed by many. Hence, during my latest vist to Paris in 2001, I found that Bastille has lost a little bit of its exclusive charm. It is still a great place to cruise at night, though, with lots of young indie college students doing bar-hopping and people watching. Bastille is also known for its international flavors. Many cuisine, including exotic ones like Moroccan, can be found there.

OK, if it's not Bastille, it could be the riverfront area where Musee d'Orsay where these paintings belong to is situated!





In front of a self-portrait by....I think it's Paul Cezanne...?





Me in front the Hong Kong Museum of Art


A computer buff like me was delighted to see this touch-screen interactive media introducing the show. Full of history. I love it! :)



Dim Sum at JW Mariott Hotel in Pacific Place. If you plan to go there, take MTR subway and get out at Admiralty exit F. The entrance to the hotel via subway is very easy through Pacific Place shopping mall. Heh-heh. All you have to do is takng an elevator. Dim Sum lunch here is so popular it's advisable to book your table first. How good is it? Well, it's ok. But I'm not going to fly to HK just to eat it! :-P



Caught red-handed! :-p



Me studying the replica of Manet's The Fifer. The real one in the next room is much bigger! :-D



I personally like this idea of dedicating the harbor-view area of the museum's second floor to be kids' play area. Papers, crayons, color pencils, even water color (I think) were distributed free and the kids have fun in drawing their own impression of the Victoria Harbor. In this picture I couldn't resist posing in the frame provided by the show's organizer. Do I look like an "Impressionist"? hee hee hee (no pun intended.)



Appreciating Woman, Torso in the Sun by Pierre-Augustte Renoir. The story behind this painting is very interesting. I didn't quite catch all the detatils on the audio tour but it sounds like the artist were able to see this nude woman posing under the sun in his back garden as a corpse! The color he use on her body is intended to emulate the color of a decomposing corpse! Eewww!






Me having fun posing as an Impressionist painter.... Don't look very convincing, do I? :-P



On a bustling Nathan Road. This are is called Park Lane and there are many young people's brand around. There is also cute shop selling teddy bears and other stuffed animals! Anyway, not very far from this corner, there is a Japanese department store in the basement of a building opposite Ocean Terminal (I think) department store. It's called, "Muji." I enjoyed looking at the stationeries and edible goodies there. There is also a decent, clean food court in the basement sellng set meal or one-dish specialty from both Chinese and Japanese cuisine. The price is very reasonable, as with other "basement" department stores around the world.

Back from Chiangmai, Off to HK

Dear Readers,

I'm back from my Vipassana Meditation trip to Chiangmai, but am now hopping off to HK again for temple trips and won't be back until this Sat, Feb 26, 2005.

I hope to be back and writing regularly again after HK. My dissertation's gotta move, man! heh-heh So please come back and check it out soon.

Meanwhile, you can read my recent writings at the general web board of http://www.vipassanachiangmai.com/

Ciao for now! :)

Fish Story

Hello everybody, I just uploaded some photos and a little story of my adventure/visit to a noodle shop in Bangkok that embeds itself among trees, chirping birds and mini-lotus ponds. I wrote the story at my easy-going daily update blog called "Sukhumvit Signpost" which can be found at >> http://www.xanga.com/sukhumvit <<>

David Kirkpatrick - The Tsunami and the Net: Global Awareness, Global Response - FORTUNE

David Kirkpatrick - The Tsunami and the Net: Global Awareness, Global Response - FORTUNE: "DAVID KIRKPATRICK

The Tsunami and the Net: Global Awareness, Global Response
The web not only gave us real-time news of the gigantic waves' destruction, but also pushed us to help the survivors.
FORTUNE
Wednesday, January 5, 2005
By David Kirkpatrick "

Smiling at Life

Hi...ya'all..., how's life this Friday night?

Nothing much for me. I survived a mini-operation of a kind. Today a doc at Samitivej removed the bone-like cyst from my hand by poking a syringe on my palm and inject it with a combo potion of anasthetic and some strong drug. Hurts like hell, let me tell you!

Not a pretty sight either when I watched him doing it! Actually, I almost fainted! heh-heh To see AND feel him turning the needle around INSIDE my palm is really too much to bear! And just when I thought I might not be able to stand it anymore, the anasthetic started to work! Gosh! It's about time!

But I still keep on smilin'. Yeah! I don't know why but my happiness barometer is high today

Was it the result of my daily meditation? (Read carefully, daily meditation, not medication! hee hee) Yeah. Maybe. I don't know. But I felt good today.

On a different issue, there is one question I like to ask myself often when I first started blogging. And that's "What did I learn today?"

Well, I learned that I can study better in strange places. Yeah, I managed to finish my first chapter of the book on the influence of Japanese religions on the society and culture while I was waiting for the doc at Samitivej! (It also means I had to wait a LONGGG time for him!)

Luckily the waiting for payment and medicine was not that long, otherwise I might even finish the second chapter! :)

Would it be a good idea that I start hanging out at the hospital more often so that I can make, like, real progress on my dissertation?

heh-heh Just a wild thought... Stay tuned for my next adventure. Yeah, right! :)

----------------

Meanwhile, here's the latest news on BLOG! Do you have your own blog yet? :)

Another good piece of article on blogs. Further down this page you'll find another good one from TIME magazine which covers many topics related to blogging.

And, yes, darling, if you care to hear my two pennies' worth, click on my Archive. It should be there somewhere. Possibly in October 2004. The catch? It's in Thai, honey!

For the full story from FORTUNE, click here http://www.fortune.com/fortune/fastforward/0,15704,1012909,00.html?cnn=yes

สำหรับท่านที่สนใจอยากทราบว่า blog คืออะไรและทำไมถึงกำลังดัง แต่ขี้เกียจอ่านเป็นภาษาอังกฤษ ก็สามารถคลิกไปอ่านได้ที่ Archive เดือน ตุลาคม 2004 ใน blog นี้ได้

Panicking on Friday, Anyone?

Is it just me that sometimes get nervous on Fridays?

It's the good ol' feeling of doubt of whether I would get everything I need to get done within this week completed in time.

Today I plan to have a haircut, go see doc about some bone-related problem on my hand, and go to Pantip Plaza to see a web admin of Vipassana Chiangmai web site on my Ajarn's behalf.

Oh, I must also not forget my 2005 goals of going to the gym everyday and a Kanji a day including writing something for my dissertation everyday.

Does this blog count? heh-heh

เป้าหมายปี 2005 ของนักศึกษาคนหนึ่ง

ฟังดูเป็นเด็กดีจัง เมื่อเรียกตัวเองว่า นักศึกษา!!

ปีนี้ ฉันตั้งเป้าคร่าว ๆ ว่า

1. จะอ่านหนังสือเรียนในหมวดใดหมวดหนึ่งอย่างน้อยวันละบท
2. จะเขียนอะไรก็ได้ที่เกี่ยวกับวิทยานิพนธ์ อย่างน้อยวันละ 1 หน้า
3. จะหัดคัดตัว ฮิรากานะ และ คาตาคานะ ทุกวัน
4. จะท่องคำศัพท์ คันจิ ใหม่ อย่างน้อยวันละ 1 ตัว
4. จะไปยิม หรือ ออกกำลังกายทุกวัน
6. จะเดินจงกรม นั่งสมาธิ และกำหนดอิริยาบถย่อยทุกวัน

จนถึงวันนี้ วันที่ 6 ของปี ฉันก็ยังพอทำได้อยู่....นะ.... :)

แต่พรุ่งนี้ไม่รู้ ก็อาศัยอยู่กับปัจจุบันให้มาก ๆ เข้าไว้

แล้วจะดีเอง!

ว่าแล้วจะไปออกกำลังกายก่อนล่ะ วันนี้นัดเพื่อนไปทานอาหารญี่ปุ่นที่ร้าน Ramen Tei ที่อยู่ตรงเวิ้งแจแปนทาวน์เล็ก ๆ ในสุขุมวิทนี้ ถือโอกาสไปหัดอ่านภาษาญี่ปุ่นในเมนูเขาซะเลย ฉันชอบร้านราเมง เตย์ นี้มาก เพราะอร่อยทุกอย่างเลยอะ และที่สำคัญ ได้อาศัยดู NHK ฟรี อ่านการ์ตูนญี่ปุ่นฟรี และหรี่ตาเล็กน้อยจะนึกว่าอยู่ญี่ปุ่น เพราะไม่มีคนไทยเลย

นี่ล่ะ เคล็ดลับการเรียนภาษาของฉัน ผิดไวยากรณ์ไม่เป็นไร เน้นสื่อสารให้เข้าใจไว้ก่อน ด้วยการเลียนสำเนียง ท่าทาง และ non-verbal language ต่าง ๆ

ซึ่งอย่างหลังนี้ จะได้มาก็ต่อเมื่อ ต้องขยันเอาตัวไปอยู่ในสภาพแวดล้อมของวัฒนธรรมนั้น ๆ เท่านั้น

ได้เวลา ออกกำลังกาย พร้อมกับเจริญสติไปในตัวของฉันแล้ว ถ้าเรียกว่า "วิ่งจงกรม" จะได้ไหมนะ? สงสัยหนอ....

What We Can Learn from This Tsunami Disaster...

Dear Readers,

I hope everybody and family is all right and not affected by the recent tsunami disaster. I don't know what you all think about this event. For me it serves as a reminder that death and disaster can happen any time to any of us.

I mean, who would think that a young man of 21 years of age born into a family with supposedly a lot of Boon (merit) will perish at such a tender age? Many of you reading this blog are in your early 20s, well, what do you think if your friend dies in the Tsunami like Khun Poom, grandson of H.M. the King. He is your age, you know!

Lord Buddha said the "Avijja" or ignorance ingrained in our mind for many lives only make us see the happiness of life. Just a few days ago my Nitade Class 21 saw the picture of the birth of Kaewjai 21's 2nd son and we congraturated her and think of it as the moment of joy and happiness and nothing else...

And now with the news of the tsunami, it'd be better if we take all the necessary precautions about our life and the lives of our loved ones, isn't it? Both in the daily life, safety-first, way, and in the mental way.

I mean, those who have children might understand it better now than the rest of us ner? Think about Princess Ubolrat, who would want to go to their own child's funeral? How tough would it be?

Are we all mentally prepared for death and other kind of big losses in our lives? My humble suggestion is not to wait until you are "older" to think about this.

Contrary to many people's thought, the average age-range of people who go to the meditation center in Chiangmai is 25-35. I have attached a sample of Jan's applicants for you to see for yourself in the link below na ja.

http://www.vipassanachiangmai.com/webboard/view.php?category=general&wb_id=317

As popular among the world now with Dalai Lama's endorsement, it is no debate anymore about the necessity in training one's mind. As Lord Buddha pointed out, it is not something you can just read about or think about and practice at home. Like sports, we need a coach that can bring out the best in us in our individual way and can answer all questions we have during practice and to steer us away from possible injuries. We all heard of stubborn people who become sort of crazy (เพี้ยน ๆ) before.

I hope you all have a chance to try going to a good mind-training school near you before it's too late na. The younger you are, the better. Remember, Lord Buddha ordained and went in search of the best mind-training technique when he was only 29 na!! He didn't wait until he's "older" to try to do it!

And it took him as many as 6 years to perfect the skills and another 49 days and nights to come up with the solid curriculum that has been withstanding the test for more than 2,547 years. You can all have a crash course within 7 days, that's the minimum you need according to Lord Buddha himself.

Now, how many thousand days have you lived now in this life? If you are 22 years old, you have lived at least 8,030 days. Considering Thai people's average life expectancy, we all have gone passed the first quarter of life already, if you think about it like an NBA game or American Football game na.

7 days out of 8,030 is almost 1/1150. You've spent your lives running, searching, waiting, trying, working so hard before. Assuming you'll live at least more than the national average to 76 yearsold, don't you think it's worth it to spare 1/4000 of your time for giving your life your best shot?

Reward yourself with the time that you would be spending totally for the benefit-only of yourself and loved ones, undisturbed. It's a worthwhile investment of your most valuable resources: time.

Have you ever been sitting around waiting? Like 10-20 min for your clients, half an hour for your friends at pubs, 1 hour in a traffic jam? That is the valuable time that you can effectively use. This mind-training will show you how to make the best out of it, and out of your daily activities like driving, walking, showering, etc. also.

It's not hypnotizing or trying to detach you away from the world na. It is NOT about closing your eyes and thinking only of one word only na.

Mindfulness Meditation (what farangs call Vipassana Meditation) lets you totally live and engage in your life, loved ones, work as always, but with an extra perspective to look at things, extra immunity against the world's problems we all have to face, extra understanding of the world around us: work, nature, people, etc. And all will come automatically to you, once you have trainined your mind how to do it.

It's like giving your life a bonus na, so to speak. It takes only 7 days to bring out the part you don't know existed in your mind to come into work. Scientists said we only use 10% of our brain. Same idea. Don't you want to try to use the other 90%? Well, if I can use another 10% I'll be so happy already!

And until we get enlightened, we won't really know actually how many more percent we can use but it will come to help you in time of disaster or serious unexpected problems na, this is all I can say now. Have you heard about people suddenly can carry heavy stuff when their house's on fire? Well, that's adrenaline to the body. But what triggers it is the mind. Your mind can do many other wonderful things and you may have known that already, right?

Well, back to the issue, Khun Poom was only 21 years old and it didn't come to his mind at all that he wouldn't live long enough to have lunch on Dec 26., let alone seeing the 2005 countdown.

How do we know we'll live long enough for lunch or dinner today? What insurance company will guarantee that you'll live to see the 2005 countdown?

We all have plans in our lives, either short-term plan like where we'll go for vacation next year or what to do to have enough money for a new car, condo, etc.

But what if we don't live long enough for next year or long enough for the new car, do we have enough foul-proof plan long into next life or life after death?

Do you notice we all don't want to talk about this? Or, even if we want to talk about it and be prepared, we don't know what to talk about?

At least prisoners with death sentence more or less know when they will have to die (some die earlier, though), but we don't have the luxury of seeing the dates of our death in advance. Or even how our death would come.

If you see the big Tsunami wave in front of your eyes about to hit you, what would your mind say to you? Are you prepared?

TIME's Magazine's Article about Blogs

If this hype about blog things bugs you, don't feel down. Check out this interesting writing wrapup from TIME's magazine.

Don't like to read in English? Try looking for my Thai version written 2 months ago in the archive section. I'll find a link to that article and post here again soon.

Now, from TIME magazine.

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10 Things We Learned About Blogs


Radio had its golden age in the 1930s. In the 1950s, it was television's turn. Historians may well date the golden age of the blog from 2004—when Merriam-Webster.com's most searched-for definition was blog. How long can it last? Who knows? Here's what we discovered about the new medium this year

By CHRIS TAYLOR


Posted Sunday, December 19, 2004

Blogging Can Get You Fired

When Delta flight attendant Ellen Simonetti, 30—a leggy blond and self-styled "queen of the sky"—began her blog, she thought it would be fun to post pinup snapshots of herself in uniform. Delta wasn't amused and promptly fired her. Undaunted, Simonetti retitled the blog Diary of a Fired Flight Attendant and detailed her legal battle to get her job back.

GO TO: queenofsky.journalspace.com
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Bloggers Get Scoops Too

After book editor Russ Kick read that the U.S. military was clamping down on press photos of coffins coming back from Iraq, he didn't just pen an angry rant on his blog, the Memory Hole. He filed a Freedom of Information Act request—and embarrassingly for the Pentagon, was mailed a CD from the Air Force with 361 coffin snaps, which he promptly posted. The national press, which hadn't thought to ask whether the military had pictures, beat a path to Kick's door.

GO TO: thememoryhole.org
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Bloggers Keep News Alive

So your blog hasn't succeeded in getting national attention for your pet issue? Don't lose heart. Just blog, link and repeat. It worked for conservative bloggers like Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit, who trumpeted the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth's claims this summer, as well as for liberal blogs like Daily Kos, which investigated evidence that President Bush wore a wire in his first debate. Some of the issues had questionable merit, but persistent bloggers made the subjects tough to ignore. Say it enough times online, and someone is bound to hear you.

GO TO: Instapundit.com, dailykos.com
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Bloggers Can Be Titillating

In May a blog graphically detailing the sex life of an anonymous Capitol Hill staff member prompted D.C.'s most intriguing game of guess-the-author since Primary Colors. Jessica Cutler, a.k.a. Washingtonienne, was later outed and fired by her boss, Ohio Republican Mike DeWine, for "inappropriate use of Senate computers." (Her site is not for kids.) In another sign of the times, her first postfiring interview was with Wonkette, another Washington blogger.

GO TO: washingtoniennearchive.blogspot.com, wonkette.com
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Bloggers Can Be Fakers

Plain Layne, a highly personal blog supposedly belonging to a Minnesota lesbian named Layne Johnson that drew thousands of fans over 3 1/2 years before mysteriously disappearing, was revealed to be a hoax. Hundreds of fans helped track down the real author, Odin Soli, 35, a male entrepreneur from Woodbury, Minn. Later in the year, fake Bill Clinton and Andy Kaufman blogs became hits.

GO TO: plainlayne.dreamhost.com, billclintondailydiary.blogspot.com
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Bloggers Make Money

Earn a living in your pajamas! Online ads (along with Google's automated ad server) allow popular bloggers to go pro. Joshua Micah Marshall of talkingpointsmemo.com, a political blog, says he makes $5,000 a month from banner ads—enough to hire a research assistant.

GO TO: talkingpointsmemo.com

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Most Bloggers Are Women

Men may have taken the lead in the early (read: geeky) days of blogging, but that's not the case now. According to a survey of more than 4 million blogs by Perseus Development, 56% were created by women. More bad news for the boys: men are more likely than women to abandon their blog once it's created. Call blogging a 21st century room of one's own.

GO TO: blogsisters.blogspot.com
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Candidates Love Blogs

O.K., so Howard Dean never wrote his blog. But his campaign workers posted a surprisingly intimate online diary of life on the road, and Dean had collected $20 million in contributions via the Internet alone by the end of January 2004. It didn't take long for other politicos to catch on. When New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer announced that he was running for Governor this month, he did so on his blog.

GO TO: blog.deanforamerica.com, spitzer2006.com
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Pets Have Blogs Too

It started as an in-joke among feline-friendly bloggers: why not post pictures of their cats every Friday afternoon? Friday catblogging became a hit, and soon even NASA was playing along by posting pictures of the Cat's Eye nebula.

GO TO: carnivalofthecats.com
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Anyone Can Do It

Blogs wouldn't be such a democratic medium if they weren't so easy to set up. The most popular service, Blogger, owned by Google, boasts features like push-button photoblogging. Microsoft has launched a trial version of its own blogging service.

GO TO: blogger.com, spaces.msn.com