Condo-quariums and Other Curious Sights

I saw a man selling fish on a stick today, right on the corner of Sukhumvit 26. I'm not talking grilled fish on skewers for hungry passersby. I mean vibrant live little fish, even turtles, all stacked up on top of each other, each in their own little plastic-baggie bubble. I'm not entirely sure how much he was charging for them, but he let me take a picture anyway. No sooner had I clicked the shutter, when he hoisted the pole and its plastic-baggie barnacles horizontally onto his shoulder and nonchalantly crossed the street as though unaware of the busy lunchtime traffic. I watched them cross, briefly picturing the surely curious scene of carnage that would ensue if they got hit by a car. Luckily no such scene unfolded before me and before I knew it, he was marching off on the opposite side of Sukhumvit, condo-quarium and its inhabitants bouncing along on his shoulder.


The other day, as I was walking down the BTS steps, I saw that the man ascending the same stairs was carefully balancing some odd white package in his hands. Only when I passed him did I realize he was carrying a turtle sans shell. I'm not entirely sure if it was dead or alive, but am afraid it was the former. It's not everyday you see someone carrying a turtle onto the Skytrain.

And then, just as I was walking down our little soi (still pondering about the turtle), I saw a tiny, fluffy white poodle riding a motorcycle. It wasn't in a basket or it's owner's arms, even. It was just standing on the motorcycle seat behind it's owner as they roared on down the soi. When they passed me, I noticed the poodle was wearing a black shirt and a spiked leather collar.

All I can say is... amazing Thailand.

A Different Sort of Adventure - Fun To Be Had By All

Some of you may be wondering why posts on the LOTUS travel blog have been slowly but surely dwindling in number. This is because Amber, Erin and I have all embarked on a new journey - one that is going to be long and arduous. There's going to be lots of early mornings and late nights, near-subsistence-type eating, some enlightening moments and plenty of really frustrating ones, and as always, lots of budgeting. With time, that is.

Yup, as many of you may know, the three of us were in Thailand to conduct academic research and now, the time has come for us to write our research papers!

Before Amber and Erin left Bangkok to return stateside, the three of us started sifting through the piles of reading material given to us by various organizations. Literally, there were piles - chunks of which we had to haul halfway 'round Northern Thailand and Luang Prabang. So, as college students do when confronted with copious amounts of probably-necessary reading material, we set off in search of places offering plenty of caffeine and comfy couches. Though I've now been left to continue this exploration alone, here are some of our finds:

1. Au Bon Pain: 1st Fl. Emporium Shopping Mall
This Au Bon Pain is located right next to Starbucks, and after much vacillating between the two - I soon learned that Au Bon serves cheaper Americanos and much fresher pastries. Tres 'bon', indeed. Plus, during the three weeks we were skipping around Northern Thailand, the cafe installed new, comfy leather-type armchairs. These new, bright red installations are great to read in and even greater for people-watching.
I generally catch the lunch crowd since my sleeping habits don't quite permit me to get up in time for the early birds. Yesterday as I stood in line to order, a German fellow in front of me was discussing the unhealthy, addictive effects of coffee with his Singaporean colleague. The Singaporean asked, "Hm - and what about tea?"
"Tea's okay"
"What kind of tea? Black tea? Green?"
"Any kind of tea", replied the German.
An awkward silence followed - the kind that comes when you realize you're not really saying anything at all.
"Hm, yes. I think coffee is just like drugs. It makes addiction. Not so good"
And meanwhile, here I was desperately waiting for them to move along so that I could get that first sip of scalding, bitter espresso onto my tongue.

An earlier day, Erin and I were in the middle of our usual quarter-life crisis, "what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life"-type conversations when a farang woman sidles into the booth next to us, her arm crooked around some little white bundle. Erin and I looked at each other, eyebrows raised. 'Is that what we think it is?'
She shifted towards us. We snuck glances. And indeed, it was an impossibly teeny-tiny baby squashed between her breast and the nook of her elbow. The new mother lifted the baby in front of her and, leaning forward, peered into its unopened eyes. This new being, just recently introduced into our world, was so premature that it almost didn't look human at all.
In low voices, Erin and I wondered whether these two should even be out of the hospital yet. It was even more worrisome when the mother lay the newborn right down on the booth seat, where people have rested their feet, their bums and left their pastry crumbs, to change its diaper. Then Erin told me about a beggar she'd seen on the steps of the BTS the previous day. This beggar woman also had an impossibly teeny-tiny newborn, laying like a doll in her lap. Erin said that everyone who passed them was just staring, unbelieving their eyes and relieving their pockets of spare change. We wondered about the conditions in which the beggar introduced her child to our world. That sufficiently ended our "what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life"-type conversation.

2. Dasa Book Cafe: Between Sukhumvit Sois 26 & 28.
As explained on the Dasa Book Cafe website, dasa means "slave" or "servant". So, for us book-lovers who are indeed slaves to the written word, this cozy, second-hand bookstore has a fantastic selection. There are travel guides, travel writing and general fiction, even a small section upstairs that has books in French, German and Japanese. Dasa also has great brownies. They're highly recommended - with whipped cream! Even greater about Dasa is that they don't seem to care whether or not you sit there all day nursing the same 40-baht pot of tea as you pore over the book you've decided to finish without having to actually buy it. Amber went back three consecutive days and managed to get through nearly two-thirds of The Alchemist!
You can also sell or exchange used books here for store credit or cash. I tried to do this today. Turns out they prefer paperbacks so, I got to lug three hulking hardback novels all the way back home.
Usually Dasa offers a nice, quiet environment for you to really relish in whatever you're reading. Unfortunately, I did not get so lucky today. Lately I've been on a travel essay kick (if you catch the first issue of LOTUS magazine, you'll see why!), so I was all ready to hunker down with my Thai iced tea and the three or four travel books I'd selected. Just as I was getting into The Lonely Planet Journeys: Brief Encounters*, four straggly American college students stumbled into the cafe. I knew they were American because to be honest, sometimes you just do. While I really tried to concentrate on the letters in front of me, I also tend to find amusement in eavesdropping on people speaking English when they think no one else does. So, for the next hour, I listened.

Guy with pink Polo shirt to girl with blue shirt: "Ohmygod, you have to read Up Country!"
Blue shirt girl: "Nah - I saw the movie!"
Pink Polo: "Uh - movie? This was not a movie... Are you thinking about the one with Charlize Theron in it?"
Blue Shirt: "Yeaah..."
Pink Polo: "That's "Something-else" Country. Yeah -that's Old Country."

Girl with backpacker headscarf, to no one in particular: "Ohhh, Madame BOVARY!"
Pink Polo & Blue Shirt, in unison: "Shhhh!"
Headscarf Girl: "I know, I'm loud. So, have you guys READ THIS?"

Pink Polo, disgusted look on face: "Ohmygod, this was the worst book ever. Never read it."
Headscarf Girl: "What is it?"
Pink Polo: "Heart of Darkness"

Blue Shirt: "Have you guys read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time?"
Headscarf Girl: "No, what's it about?"
Blue Shirt: "Well, it's kind of hard to explain. But it's like, about this autistic kid and this incident...with a dog... in the night-time."
(Note: I don't think this was a joke because no one laughed. Except me - silently in my head.)

Okay, so I realize my sad little exercise sounds horribly mean, but I've already come to terms with the fact that I'm probably going to be reborn as an ant in my next life anyway. Besides, before they left, Headscarf Girl used my table to violently scribble the name of a book title down, sending tiny seismic waves my way, without so much of an "Excuse me" or "Thank you for so kindly sharing your table with me". I kept shooting glares to the three of them above my book, but all were blissfully ignorant. I really wanted to surprise them by saying something to them in English, but sadly my neurons don't communicate so rapidly as to allow me to fire sharp, witty quips off the tip of my tongue. So, instead, I'm resigned to get out my frustration in writing, well past the expiry date of any of this being meaningful.

Okay, next.

3. Book Lounge: 4th Fl. Amarin Plaza
This new book outlet boasts having over 200,000 books and periodicals on it's banner, making it the "first biggest book outlet in Bangkok". Located on the 4th floor of the Amarin Plaza (near BTS Chidlom), it occupies the corner block of the floor, allowing great views of the bustling streets below. The bookstore has a decent selection of magazines and a large display of colourful coffee-table books on Thailand. There was also an ample Travel section that caught my interest, but upon closer inspection, turned out not to be entirely travel writing (unless I didn't read Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul closely enough - or maybe it's metaphorical). Sure enough, none of the sections turned out to offer exactly what I thought they would. For example, the "Fiction & Literature" section actually means "Fiction & Nonfiction". Needless to say, this occupies a majority of the bookstore. At first I found this frustrating, but then it got pretty fun. It reminded me of those little used bookstores in Chiang Mai (which almost have better categorization systems) where you never knew what treasures you'd discover.
The treasure I found was Louise Brown's Sex Slaves: The Trafficking of Women in Asia. Sounds like quite the gem, huh? This is what merely a year's dedication to a research topic can do to you. I have seen this Sex Slaves book in nearly every bookstore I've been to and every time, the book's covergirl would peer out at me with those hopeless eyes. I finally had to give it a good skim.
I sat down with the book in the Blue Cup Coffee shop, located right there in the Book Lounge. This coffee shop has great huge windows, more comfy sofas, and absolutely brutal, beautifully strong espresso drinks (which is why I was up until 2 am last night, drafting this blog entry). Apparently there's free True Wi-Fi too - though I never managed to connect on my iPod. Maybe next time. And there will be a next time. After perusing Sex Slaves, I found her arguments short-sighted enough to prevent me from spending 400 baht on it and callous enough to make me go back and read it for free at Blue Cup. But only if I really have nothing better to do.

4. Bookstore @ Bumrungrad Hospital's International Patient Center
This tiny bookstore, located next to Starbucks, is chock full of books for the diverse tastes of the various individuals who frequent Bumrungrad. There are the usual fiction/nonfiction, several anatomy, healthy lifestyle-type books, as well as a very multi-lingual periodicals section. I found a real treasure here called Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels and the Business of AIDS by Elizabeth Pisani. It was worth every baht I paid for it and has so far been the best book I've read this summer. I keep telling everyone about this book, and I'm not gonna stop. To see why, check out Pisani's blog under 'Sites LOTUS Likes'.
This bookstore also holds sentimental value to me. It is where Erin and I first learned that Amber had contracted dengue fever. There we were, just reading away (actually, me heatedly quoting Pisani aloud to Erin while she tried to politely concentrate on her Digital Photography magazine) when I got an SMS from Amber. It said, "Yup, looks like I've got dengue". Lots of disbelief and a little laughter ensued. I say laughter because we were sure that if any one of us had to contract a disease from a mosquito, it'd be Erin. Anyway, Bumrungrad and medical tourism in Thailand is another blog entry in itself - but, to conclude, this is another great place to people-watch.

* Lonely Planet Journeys: Brief Encounters is a collection of stories about "love, sex & travel". Highly recommended because after all, "don't we agree that falling in love with a person is the surest way of falling in love with a place?"

Ohaiyo! Living in Little Tokyo

So, guess which city Travel + Leisure magazine voted the no. 1 Best City in the World this year?

Yup, that's right folks - Bangkok takes the cake, up two spots from last year and followed closely by Buenos Aires. The publication came out with this ruling only a few days ago and since, The Bangkok Post, among other periodicals, have gotten cries of protest and confusion - including from native Bangkokians themselves. Just today, a fellow wrote in suggesting his adopted hometown of Honolulu instead. Why Bangkok? It's sweltering, it's smoggy, it's smelly, it's got soi dogs everywhere, it's...Bangkok**.

To read more, see here: http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2008/results.cfm?cat=cities

Though I've come to love Bangkok for everything that it is, I also am curious about the indicators used by Travel + Leisure. If they were calculating the best bang for a tourist buck (and really, I'm not talking about sex tourism here - though maybe I should be), I would understand. Bangkok has a little something for everyone - the best, and sometimes pieces of the worst, of all worlds. There's a sprawling Chinatown with authentic Chinese food, gold jewelery stores and supercheap wholesale markets. Little India has winding roads bursting with delicious Indian restaurants, Bollywood movie rentals and sari seamstresses. Early on Sukhumvit is Soi Arab, where Middle Eastern and North African men share shisha pipes, women (at the very least cover) their hair, and outdoor restaurants offer great, cheap Middle Eastern food. There's even a Little Tokyo. That's where I live.

Right on Soi 35, my house is right in the middle of Little Tokyo. This means I can pretty much get great, decently-priced sushi anytime I want. (Being a semi-strict vegetarian, some people may contest my barometer for "great" sushi.) Besides the multiple restaurants, the Little Tokyo neighbourhood is made complete with: Japanese bookstores, chock-full of manga, Japanese video rentals, Japanese dry cleaners, spas catered towards Japanese housewives, stores full of teeny, clever Japanese gadgets, and a Fuji, the major Japanese supermarket chain (not to be confused with Fuji, the major Japanese restaurant chain - which has great futo maki).


Walking the mere 350 metres from my front gate to the main road, I am temporarily transported. Mini song-taaews zoom past, within an inch of my life, transporting Japanese women and kids between Fuji and their service apartments. Japanese housewives push Hello Kitty strollers carrying adorable, pink-cheeked Japanese toddlers sporting Hermes baby booties. The Thai salesgirls yell at you upon entry into the NEO 50,60,70 Baht Shop, shouting something in Japanese that sounds like either, "WEL-come to the STORE!!!!" or "DON'T even think about shop-LIFTING!!!!" After work, Japanese businessmen sit and smoke outside the Fuji Coffeeshop, wearing shorts and sandals, proudly bearing severe sock tans from the previous weekend's golf outing. I start to feel that perhaps it isn't so shameful that I've transitted through the Tokyo Narita airport at least 10 times and have never actually been through Tokyo immigration and customs.
Getting closer to Sukhumvit though, Little Tokyo becomes even Littler London as I pass the popular Bull's Head Pub and the Robin Hood Pub. On down Sukhumvit, you can find Londoner's. All have posters boasting something - the coldest beer on tap, the best bangers & mash, the cheapest and longest happy hour in Bangkok.

So, like I said, there's a little something for everyone and surprisingly little gets lost in translation.

**Speaking of translation, Bangkok is not actually what most Thais call their capital city. Thais refer to Bangkok as Krung Thep, roughly meaning "The City of Angels". However, Bangkok holds a much earlier awarded no. 1 spot in the Guiness Book of World Records - for having the longest name for a geographic location.

The full ceremonial name is: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.

This means something like: "The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn" (thanks www.bangkok.com!).

A Final Goodbye to the Land of the Smiles

On the eve before departing the Kingdom of Thailand, I think back over the past two months and wonder if this country has changed me. There is a popular myth perpetuated in sex-pat literature as well as famous backpacker manifestos such as Alex Garland's The Beach that once you come to Thailand, you will return home a different person.  Am I a changed gal? Has the spicy food adapted my taste buds to a more adventurous palate? Have my journeys in tuk-tuk taxis made me less concerned about wearing a seat belt and more concerned about holding my breath as I pass through a cloud of pollution? Has my bout with Dengue fever taught me to appreciate my day-to-day health more? Or has living under the rule of a king fostered in me a deeper respect for authority...or perhaps community rule?

In my Social psychology course second year, I learned that Asian societies often embrace a collectivist mindset, while Western Societies emphasize the individual.  Looking around for the past two months, it appears this may indeed be true. 

Sara's mom jokes that she can always tell what day of the week it is by the color of shirt everyone is wearing.  Yesterday everyone wore yellow, in celebration of the moon god Phra Chan and today, there's a little more pink on the streets in celebration of the Mars god Phra Angkarn. Thus on Mondays, the Sky Train is a sea of polo shirts in various shades of juicy pineapple, while the park at dusk displays bright yellow running outfits.  The park also exhibits the collectivist spirit with its many group exercise classes, including Tai Chi or fan dancing.  Yesterday there was a special aerobic kickboxing class held in the back of the park, with about THREE HUNDRED participants of all different shapes and seizes.  As I jogged through the group continuing on the path, I felt somewhat out of place and part of me wanted to join in just to avoid feeling like an awkward outsider farang. One thing I have caught on to at the park is stopping for the national anthem twice a day if I happen to be exercising during the times  of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. At these hour marks, everyone freezes in place and stands still as the loud speakers project the song of the kingdom. A similar nationalistic ritual is also repeated along with a visual representation of the king's biography before a movie is played at the theater. You better put your popcorn to the side and stand up because otherwise you could be arrested for disrespecting the King!

Despite the many collectivist trends in Thailand, this country has actually influenced me to be more alert as an individual. Perhaps it is my personal coping mechanism for dealing with the information overload in the sensual city of Bangkok, or the fact that my meditation practice has finally reached a place where I feel like something is actually happening (Ding!).  Whatever has caused my new sense of awareness, I plan to happily embrace it. Thus, rather than analyze whether this country has changed my individual self, I prefer to reminisce about the sights, sounds, and tastes that remain with me as I leave The Land of Smiles.

Thailand's Top Ten

1.) Sweet Smell of Taxi Altars. 

There is something simultaneously refreshing and comforting about crunching down into the leather seat of the taxi as the scent of the sweet flowers hanging from the rear view mirror floats into the back seat.  These flower offerings are meant to provide good luck in traffic jams; may your taxi dart and weave through the lanes without giving you too much whip lash. The more fragrant the smell, the more recent the taxi driver's shift has started, which is also a good indicator of his mood!

2.) The Floating Market.  This past Saturday, Erin and I

 finally got up before sunrise to make it to the morning Damnoen Saduak Market. Although the floating market scene has become quite touristy in recent years, there is something quite serene about seeing local people selling fresh fruits from a boat on the water. As we cruised by in our own motorized canoe, we were

 offered fresh mango, young green coconuts, silk fabrics, and tiny Buddha relics from the passing merchants. 

3.) Chang Beer. Nothing is better after walking around in the heat than sitting down under the fans at outdoor cafe with a glass of 80 Baht Chang Beer!

4.) Temple Cats. 

After seeing your eighteenth temple in Thailand, part of the allure begins to wear off.  When this begins to happen, it's time to turn your attention away from the gold spires and green buddhas and instead try to find the kitty cats wandering around through the temple grounds. I'm a strict believer that these kitties are all reincarnated Buddhas and should be highly revered. (Especially the one in the picture to the right; he's definitely busy doing some personal purification rituals.)

5.) Khun Visaka's Banana Trees.  The yard around Sara's house in Bangkok is full of fantastic hanging banana flowers.  Many of them are rare varieties which are not meant to be eaten, so they don't have to be cut.  Instead they just keep growing and one of them is about to reach the driveway. (It's about ten feet long now!)

6.) Thai Puppets!

This past Sunday night, the three of us were lucky enough to attend a traditional Thai puppet performance at the King Power Entertainment complex.  The puppet troupe was a group called Aksra Hoon Lakorn Lek, and they learned the technique from the world renowned  puppeteer Sakorn Yangkhieosod before he died one year ago.  The lost art of puppetry is being revived by this troupe with their puppets that seem to come alive on stage!  Each puppet is manipulated by three silent actors- one that moves the head and right arm, one that moves the left arm, and another which moves the legs.  Dressed in black, the puppet masters mimic the movements of the life-like puppet and together they are one.

7.) Buddhist philosophy. 

We found this sign (to the right) at a forest temple in Chiang Mai. Since the three of us are about to embark on the final year of our university career, we figured it was a pretty good lesson to keep in mind. 

8.) Cute couples. 

Although it is a common sight to see older farang men walking around hand-in-hand with a hired petite Asian women, there are also a lot of genuinely cute couples to be found in Thailand. My favorite ones are the young pairs sitting on a park bench sharing a styrofoam container of sticky Pad Thai. It's like an Asian version of the spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp!

9.) The Thai Wai.

One of the most graceful gestures I have seen during my travels abroad is the Wai, a traditional way in Thailand to show respect, gratitude, or greet another person. It is especially endearing when a small child bows his or her head to wai an older parent or friend. Even as a foreigner, many people have waied me wherever I go in Thailand, which makes me feel a little less out of place.

10.) Sky Train advertisements: Cha-Cha! 

Asian television advertisements are colorful and catchy--and everywhere you go! My favorite part of the Sky Train experience is standing with the glacial air-con blasting down on me and hearing the advertisement with three trendy Thai guys with swipes of black hair in their eyes jamming around the television screen of every BTS car advertising some sort of fruity drink.  It's bubbly, it's jumpy, it's the head bobbing Cha-Cha drink! I've never tried the drink, but the "CHA-CHA" tune is catchy enough to put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.  No wonder people are smiling all day long in this country. 

Arthus-Bertrand From Above

The work of French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand has been on display in the middle of Bangkok since June (part of La Fete, the annual French cultural festival. I don't know why it's in Bangkok, but hey, pourquoi pas?). The exhibition, entitled "Earth From Above", shares over thirty aerial portraits taken from all over the globe to remind us how truly beautiful, diverse and mysterious our planet is. Arthus-Bertrand (YAB, for short) created this project to raise our environmental awarenesses and engage in mindful behaviour for sustainable, eco-friendly development.

I read about this exhibit in the Bangkok Post weeks ago but never had the chance to go until yesterday. Amber and I were en route to Platinum, a multi-level wholesale clothing warehouse (this is another story) when we happened upon the "Earth from Above" exhibit right outside of Central World shopping mall. As we were walking off the BTS, we ourselves got an aerial portrait of "Earth from Above". It was curious to see these mindblowing photographs of nature's true wonders amidst the concrete, urban backdrop of one of Bangkok's busiest intersections.

The massive photographs, all original copies, were arranged around the fountain outside the Zen department store at Central World. Each photograph was accompanied with a description, in both English and Thai, about the place where it was taken and then a jaw-dropping factoid - such as, "The world's annual budget for military spending is USD 1000 billion. The figure for development aid is USD 60 billion"

Or, "It takes 1.8 tonnes of material to manufacture a personal computer"

And, "One out of five adults cannot read or write - 98% are from developing countries. Two-thirds are women"

Also, "If everyone was living and consuming as a French person does, we would need two more planets".

This last one threw me a bit - not because I think it's false, but because it makes me wonder why YAB chose to focus on the French. Bien sur, he is French and perhaps wants to share with his compatriots how they're complicit in this thing we're calling global warming. However, if we were all French and all had our own teeny cars (toys really) and we required two more planets - well jeez, how many planets would we need if everyone lived and consumed as Americans? That's what I want to know. Of course though, this would truly be a hypothetical situation because everyone knows that given the choice between the two, you'd want to live and consume as a French person ("consume", as in food, is the key word here). But really, no wonder we were so concerned about whether Pluto was a planet or not. Well, as you can see, this one little factoid got me thinking in a big way (though not an entirely constructive way).

Though the exhibit was simultaneously enlightening, infuriating and inspiring - the most enjoyable thing about the exhibit was seeing how many people were there. Thai schoolchildren, older European tourists, backpackers, young couples, groups of giggly teenage girls - you could just see it on their faces, that they too, were being enlightened, infuriated and inspired. There was one middle-aged Japanese man, armed with a wide-brimmed hat to fight the midday sun, who was copying every single factoid. He would shuffle, portable stool in hand, in between each set of photographs to sit and write down all the statistics about the state of our planet. I just hope everyone who was there took away at least one of the "Simple Actions You Can Take to Save Our Planet". If you don't know what some of these simple actions are, please see all eleven below.

1. Carpool or use public transport if possible.

2. Give your car a health-check and maintain it regularly.

3. Say "NO" to shopping bags whenever possible and reuse or recycle them (Note: Now in Thailand, you can buy fake versions of the popular handbag broadcasting, "I Am NOT a Plastic Bag").

4. Recycle and separate trash before disposal.

5. Always switch off lights and electrical appliances after use.

6. Change light bulbs to energy-saving bulbs.

7. Plant trees and greens.

8. Improve water management

(Another note: I love how Zen & Central World have this huge publicity campaign about "Going Green" surrounding the YAB exhibit - kudos to them. But they need to start practising what they preach and get rid of all their useless and wasteful fountains in front of the mall. Seriously. Water erupts in little spurts from holes in Zen's vast pavement garden out front, splattering the sidewalk and forming puddles that evaporate in the sun. The water isn't even reused like with regular fountains.)

9. Use paper only when necessary.

10. Reuse, recycle and reduce whenever possible.

11. Audit yourself and tell yourself that every little effort counts!


To read more about Yann Arthus-Bertrand and his work, go to: www.yannarthusbertrand.org

Yann Arthus-Bertrand, you're our hero! (Yes, I just alluded to Captain Planet).

To Elephant Camp I Go!

When I had to leave Luang Prabang to head back to Chiang Mai for a one day conference on human trafficking, I was very sad to say goodbye. I felt like I didn’t have adequate time to explore all that the city had to offer – and I only scratched the surface in discovering the beauty that defines Luang Prabang. However, I knew another journey awaited me and grew excited once again about the days ahead of me.

I checked into Julie’s guesthouse around midday and found my room in a back section of the guest house near the “garden,” which featured hammocks and a peaceful atmosphere to read, write and relax. Julie’s was a fascinating place to be, namely because of the anthropological studies that it lends itself to. The species that Sara has classified as “contemporary hippies” – she is well on her way to publishing her explanation and scientific documentation of this group – comprise the entirety of the demographic that flocks to Julie’s while visiting Chiang Mai. The usual styles were represented: headscarves, colorful (sometimes striped) baggy three quarter length pants, piercings (nose seems one of the most popular), dreadlocks/braids, and of course – the large backpack that all hip youngsters wear when traveling the world (*Note: If you would like more information about this species, please direct questions to Sara – she would be happy to answer your inquiries).

*Related Memory: We had a fun experience on the way to Lao with Sara’s body-size backpack in which she was climbing a hill after getting of the boat and found herself tumbling slowly backwards because of the weight of her backpack. I heard a tiny voice whispering, “Erin, Erin,” but wasn’t quick enough to lend a hand and pull her up the riverbank. Luckily, Amber was close by to hoist her up the hill. We had a good number of laughs about this for the remainder of the trip.

(*Back to Julie’s Guesthouse)

The “chill” atmosphere was comforting, but I decided that I had to find a source of entertainment for the next day – since the conference was still two days away. I narrowed my interests down to two options: white water rafting and interacting with elephants. I was torn for a good portion of the day, especially since the white water rafting trip that Amber and I went on in Ecuador was one of the best times of my life – watching her pound on the raft screaming, “My friend is stuck under the raft, she’s stuck, help her!” was priceless. It turned out I wasn’t stuck, but happily floating down the river with my toes pointed up, as instructed, after being tossed through the air due to a rapid that our guide assured us would not be a problem. He was pretty cool, despite the little white lies.

After mulling it over, I opted to see the elephants. I found a program that sounded perfect – Elephant Nature Camp (really Elephant Nature Park)! Though it cost more than other elephant adventures, I knew that I did not want to simply ride domesticated elephants, since I had become aware of the plight of Asian elephants upon arriving in Thailand. Instead, I wanted to learn why the elephant population has continued to drastically decrease over the years – and why so many elephants continue to be abused and treated as tourist attractions in a country that seems to revere them.

I signed up for Elephant Nature Park, and found myself on a bus the next day with strangers. Flashbacks to elementary school flooded my mind – and I worried about making friends on the 1.5 hr long bus ride. At lunch that same day, it really felt like elementary school, as I found my group’s table full, and was turned away – luckily, I was in the wild and already knew how to fend for myself. I found another table with some high school girls from New Mexico – and put on my best high school girl act, which consisted of many “oh my gods!” and “no ways!” They were very nice to adopt me.

I had an amazing day at the elephant park. I had no idea that I had chosen a famous conservation camp in Thailand. The founder of the camp, Sangduen "Lek" Chailert, is known globally as the “Elephant Whisperer,” due to her passion for rescuing abused Asian

elephants and nursing them back to health. I loved the story of how her passion developed – which began when her grandfather who was a traditional healer in her home village was awarded a baby elephant for his work. Lek grew to love the baby elephant and went on to found her own camp dedicated to Asian elephants. In addition to the camp, Lek has started “Elephant Haven,” which is a jungle sanctuary where elephants can go to experience life in the wild, and “Jumbo Express,” which is an outreach program that provides medical attention to elephants in need. After I learned about this woman and her accomplishments driven by heart, bravery and wisdom, I understood why Time Magazine named her a “Hero of Asia.”

Though I enjoyed feeding the elephants, bathing them in the nearby river and soaking up the energy of the vast landscape which seemed surreal as elephants traversed the land and formed the backdrop of an enchanted scene, I was most fortunate to have the experience to learn about the difficult situations still facing Asian elephants today. I learned of the cruel braking-in tactics used in northern villages of Thailand to force elephants into submission so they can be lucrative in the Tourist industry – details which are horrifying and I could barely stand to watch in the documentary shown that afternoon. Since elephants are not nationally protected and are considered livestock, individuals have the legal rights to treat them as such. It was a harsh reality, but I take comfort in the fact that activists such as Lek are fighting back to protect the rights of Asian elephants.

For more information about Elephant Nature Park, please visit: http://www.elephantnaturefoundation.org./

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