BKK Murals

Today I woke up, had some hot coffee, listened to "Impressions" by John Coltrane and checked out an art gallery in downtown Bangkok near National Stadium.

Here are some murals on display:

Bangkok City

Photos from Chinatown and downtown Bangkok, 6/10/2552

Myanmar visa run

Today I took a van to Messei (the northernmost point of Thailand) to reach the border of Myanmar for a visa extension.

The van driver only gave us an hour to go through immigration, cross the border, complete the whole procedure, and then come back. So I was in a rush, but made it happen.

Last month I met a guy from Oslo, Norway. He has been traveling for about 10 months; before Chiang Mai he spent time at an intensive meditation retreat in India.

We share a similar taste in music, and he ended up exchanging a lot of music (so I had a lot of new stuff to listen to on the van ride). He gave me some really good Scandinavian / European / American metal, jazz, folk, rock etc. Among the highlights are:

FAITH NO MORE, JOHN COLTRANE, EMPEROR, OPETH, DEATH (discography), JIM STARK, KAADA, KAADA / PATTON, BACH, DEAD KENNEDYS, AT THE GATES, etc. I especially like the albums "Individual Thought Patterns", "Symbolic", and Coltrane "First Meditations"

I move out of my apartment tomorrow, and then I'm headed to BKK on an all-night bus. Earlier this month I had a conversation with my Thai neighbor as she was leaving. She is a traveling nurse that relocates all over northern Thailand. Mostly she works with Burmese people and refugees in Thailand who are victims of landmines on the border of Myanmar.

I'm finishing up my time here in Chiang Mai. I feel good, confident that I'm making the right decision at this point in my life; but there are many things I will miss about Chiang Mai (riding my motorbike around the city, Northern Thai food, Lanna music school, my amazing students at AUA Chiang Mai, etc). I will always remember my time here, and I'm happy to be returning to California.

Transitions

Tomorrow I will have my final piano recital at Lanna Music school.

I'll be performing Chopin and Rachmaninoff pieces (Etude in F minor, Revolutionary 10-12, and Etude 3 No. 2 in C sharp minor) alongside some really promising young Thai musicians like Nong June and Nong Fang.

This will be the last recital before I return to California, and before my music teacher Kruu Jeab moves to a new music school (after 12 years at Lanna).

This is definitely a turning point in my life. I taught my last weekday term at AUA Chiang Mai yesterday. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to teach these students. They are so bright, energetic, and joyful. My J2, L5 and L7 classes this term were awesome. I will always remember them.

I have mixed feelings, but overall I feel a sense of accomplishment, content with what I have and have done and ready to face what the future holds.

(Photo: Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, Thailand)

Wat Suan Dok

Yesterday morning I went to Wat Suan Dok on Suthep Road. Vivid white clouds shifted in the striking blue sky as I walked past the tombs of ancient royalty of the Lanna Kingdom.

An old monk in an orange robe led me into the temple. We selected two yellow candles wrapped with a paper scrawled with a prayer in Thai.

The monk asked me where I was from (his assumption was Germany) and then asked for the names of my parents and my family. He inscribed my family name on the candles in the ancient Lanna language.

The sky has been bright blue during most days the month of August this year, with giant pure white clouds.

But out of nowhere, it usually starts to pour rain on most days - tropical rain for about 10 to 15 minutes - which stops as abruptly as it begins.

The rain also localizes to certain areas - for example, the rain may have stopped near Nimmanhaemin while it's still pouring in the old city.

The electrical systems of Chiang Mai have been having a lot of problems these days. After a brief downpour of rain, the traffic lights at major intersections often go out. Occasionally a policeman jumps into the intersection to restore some semblance of order, blaring a whistle and giving directions by hand while the traffic backs up - but other times it's complete chaos, especially when the power goes out on the traffic lights at busy junctions like the intersection of Suthep and Canal Road.

This month was the birthday of the Queen - a major Thai national holiday. Her birthday is associated with the color blue, so there are still blue flags flying high next to most Thai national flags. The week of her birthday Huay Kaew street was draped with a canopy of cascading lights, which was very beautiful while cruising by on my motorbike.

8/6

I just finished watching an interview with NEUROSIS on Swedish TV, and now I’m listening to Sigur Rós Ágætis Byrjun in my room.

This is a short break in between terms; I’ve been cruising around on my orange motorbike through the city, making some progress on the piano, and reading.

Driving down a busy road today I saw an anubahn baby Thai girl and her mother sitting inside a makeshift metal side-car crudely fastened with a few bolts to a motorcycle the father was driving. The baby girl was sitting in a small plastic chair not secured to anything, not wearing a helmet. It looked so dangerous!

My music teacher is going to be moving from Lanna Music to a new school in late September, and today I checked it out for the first time. It’s close to the Ping River, near the Nawarat Bridge. This is where Atsuko Seta – an incredible pianist from Osaka, Japan currently living in Chiang Mai – occasionally teaches master classes.

The performance room doubles as a Tae Kwon Do studio, with walls covered with full-length mirrors, padded floors, and Thai and Korean flags displayed prominently above the windows.

I practiced Debussy on the Yamaha baby grand piano. The delicate feel and dynamics of this piece are polar opposite to the dark intensity of Rachmaninoff Op. 3 No. 2; but I like the contrast.

(Photo: R. Zoey Setiawan)

Wat (Under Construction)

This is a temple currently being renovated near the 3 Kings Monument in Chiang Mai.

121

I'm listening to Miles Davis Milestones live in Berlin 1964. Lanna Music just closed, and I had some fresh kaow neo and mu ping from the vendor on Soi 8. The vendor's son used to always be in the neighborhood, but he was drafted to become a soldier and he's already gone to a new city.

I feel like I am gradually gaining a better understanding of the wider geography of Chiang Mai. Last week I took a motorbike adventure north on the superhighway up north to Mae Joe Plow. It was sprinkling rain in the morning. I was able to confirm my directions using basic Thai. Then I took a bike ride down Canal Road 121, riding around the lake as the clouds transformed from white to dark gray. Last night I rode across Suthep and went south on canal road and came back up to Sirimankalajarn past midnight.

The traffic can really be a headache sometimes, especially on busy roads like Nimmanhaemin. The traffic flows continuously and nobody slows down or stops to let you in if you are trying to merge into another lane or cross the street. It's extremely dangerous, especially with motorbikes bombing down the street without being aware of their surroundings.

Even if there were more traffic lights I don't think it would really solve the problem, because the red lights here seem to be the equivalent of yellow lights in the States, and even the police officers run them all the time.

On Huay Kaew the songtaews are the cause of most of my stress. The large red trucks belch smog and drive slowly, drifting into and out of lanes and occasionally driving into the middle of the street, stopping abruptly and without warning. Meanwhile motorcycles and the regular flow of traffic swarms around the red cars.

I'm going back to Sirimankalajarn to have a cold Singha and read Bukowski.

(Photos: R. Zoey Setiawan)

View of Doi Suthep - Day and Night

This is the view of Wat Doi Suthep during the day and at night. The view is looking west out from my apartment on Sirimankalajarn.

Today skies were blue and it was warm during the morning. I got some coffee, jumped on my motorbike and cruised over to Lanna Music school. I practiced Rachmaninoff Op. 3 No. 2 through until the end and then took a break. Suddenly gray clouds started closing in and it started pouring rain, out of nowhere.

I went back to practice for another hour, and then rode out of the old city to Nimmanhaemin Soi 17 for my favorite kwoi tio tom yam gai noodle soup at Khun Mor. I had a cold Singha and listened to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew.

Op. 3 No. 2

I'm taking a short break from practicing Rachmaninoff's Op. 3. No. 2 at Lanna Music school. I am about three-quarters through the sheet music (which can be a headache to read, with all the accidentals). I love the contrast in dynamics and the rising tension to massive, crushing chords.

The music is extremely intense. I've been listening to interpretations by a Russian pianist and a Japanese woman pianist. Both have tremendous grace and power.

I'm still putting the finishing touches on Chopin's Nocturne in F Minor. The arpeggios towards the end are the most challenging part.

It's rainy season again, so it's been pouring rain in Chiang Mai. I went to the temple across from AUA to purchase some hot cappacino from my favorite Sunday Walking Street vendor, which warmed me up.

There are traffic jams on Huay Kaew and Nimmanhaemin, because a Buddhist holiday is approaching and many Thais from other provinces are coming to visit the Lanna Kingdom. So riding a motorbike is a headache.

I just finished reading Miles Davis' autiobiography "Miles" for the second time. I deeply admire his conviction, and respect his outlook on life and music, his dedication to constant artistic and creative evolution.

I started a new book by neurologist Oliver Sachs about the correlation between music and mental and psychological processes.

I'm teaching 2 Level 5 classes, 2 Level 8 classes, and a Level 12 class (the most advanced level I've taught yet) at AUA Chiang Mai. The students are very sharp and motivated.

(Photo: R. Zoey Setiawan)

Pai

The environment is always different every time I go to Pai, Mae Hong Son. The soil, rice paddies, mountains, and cloud formations all change with the seasons. The majestic clouds on the horizon even change depending on the time of day.

Zoey and I went to Coffee in Love, sipped espresso and sat overlooking the incredible view. A blanket of gray clouds covered the horizon, and an island of snow white clouds hovered in the sky. A veil of rain was transparent in the distance.

I read a chapter in Kerouac's Dharma Bums - he was scaling the Matterhorn with 2 of his friends.

We rented a Honda motorbike. It rode so smoothly through the rolling hills and countryside of Mae Hong Son. With Zoey on the back of the bike, we rode for about 20km past Pai Canyon, World War II Bridge, and to the temple on the hill.

This is where my friend Khun Alex from Stockholm, Sweden taught me to ride - and ever since, Mae Hong Son has been by far my favorite place to explore on a motorbike (gorgeous surroundings, and nowhere near as hectic as Chiang Mai city traffic).

We stopped at an art commune built into the surrounding nature; Thelonious Monk's “Straight No Chaser” was playing on old speakers. Paintings were displayed on the walls, including my favorite - a human figure huddled in the middle of a swirling red vortex.

As night descended we rode in the dark to the Chinese village. Eventually the night became pitch black and we could only see into the distance as far as the headlights, so we headed home. Crickets sang peacefully as we drifted off to sleep in our cabin inside the small town of Pai.

In the morning we had fresh coffee, eggs, and toast at the Muslim bakery and talked before taking one last cruise around Pai.




Currently listening to:

Beethoven - Emperor
Scriabin - Preludes
Rachmaninoff - Etudes

(Photos: R. Zoey Setiawan)

Wat Umong

We took a songtaew to Wat U Mong to the east of the old city, a site that a monk from Laos described to me as the “forest temple”. The whole environment was much different from how I remember it from the dry season. Everything was lush and green, and jakkajahn insects no longer shrieked up in the trees.

Walking along the winding paths, we paused to read passages of Buddhist wisdom inscribed onto the trees. We continued through centuries-old tunnels with a damp musky smell leading to Buddha images surrounded with incense. Finally, we went to a pond where we fed popcorn and bread to the catfish and turtles.

Wat Rong Khun

Finally, we went to Wat Rong Khun. It is famous all throughout Thailand, and I have been so anxious to see it.

It is one of the most epic works of art I have ever seen; unlike any other temple in Thailand. Every aspect of its construction is symbolic of human existence, from hellish despair and suffering to ultimate enlightenment.

The artist has been designing and building it for 12 years straight, and it's still a work in progress.

He considers it his life's work...he has provided a vast majority of the funding from his own finances, and even lives right outside the temple in one of the adjacent structures.

He claims that he will continue working on the project until his dying breath. He has even trained a group of disciples to follow on in his style on this and similar projects in the future after his death.

He has set a timeline until 2070 for all his plans...he wants to create 8 similar temples around the area.

Mae Salong

We continued northeast towards Myanmar to a town called Mae Salong, a village of Chinese settlers who cultivate tea. The lush rolling green hills were spectacular, especially as the transparent mist of cool rain hovered over the mountains.

We sat down at a local tea shop, sheltered from the rain. I spoke Thai to the Chinese woman who was eager to pour us all kinds oolong, jasmine, and local Mae Salong tea. We sipped hot tea in the rainy morning air.

Chiang Rai

We took a van to Chiang Rai. We got off near a market, where we walked around and explored. All of the fruit in Thailand is ripe this time of year, and the local “lang ley” Chiang Rai pineapples were sweet and delicious.

We continued on through the streetside markets of Chiang Rai. A woman was slicing up a durian on the side of the street, and I bought some. We split it up and shared it amongst ourselves, and then gave the rest to a woman begging on the side of the street.

As dusk fell we walked towards the Chiang Rai night bazaar. It was not very crowded, but many merchants were still out selling fresh food.

Gray rain clouds began to close in on us. We bought some som tam and even a hot pot, which we put in the middle of the table, adding vegetables and raw meat and making a delicious soup that kept us warm in the raging thunder storm.

Royal Gardens (Doi Suthep)

Zoey and my parents came to visit me in Chiang Mai. It was great being able to show them around and give an idea of my lifestyle here.

We woke up early in the morning to drive up to Wat Doi Suthep. It was raining lightly, and the skies were blanketed with mist. First we went to the royal gardens, where the Thai royal family stays for vacations. The orchids and colorful flowers were beautiful in the damp misty haze.

By the time we got to the temple, the air was fresh and the skies were clear so the view of Chiang Mai was spectacular.

(Photo: R. Zoey Setiawan)

Lanna Music / Level 10

Today was the Lanna Music School Chiang Mai solo piano recital.

I have never really played piano for a serious classical recital, so my heart was racing. Everyone did very well. The young Thai musicians - Nong Fa, Nong June, and Nong Fang were really amazing. They played very difficult Chopin, Debussy, Gershinn, and Bach songs with great expression and technicality! I played Chopin's Nocturne in E flat minor and Etude 10-12 "Revolutionary."

I replaced the inner-tube and back tire on my Yamaha motorbike and filled the tank with 91 gas, and now it rides smooth as I cruise on Moon Muang and around Chiang Mai.

Tomorrow I will perform at Kruu Book's house - some Chopin pieces for the intermission of his vocal performance.

I am also studying written Thai language more seriously. It is exciting to start to decipher words and understand the way the Thai system works. It is totally different than English! The written language delineates not only the phonetics, but also 5 tones and the duration of each sound (like accidentals). It's complicated but a beautiful, musical language.

I just finished teaching Level 10 at AUA Chiang Mai. It was the most advanced class I have ever taught. My first class was extremely sharp (especially Lien from Hanoi, Vietnam, Ting Ting, Nim, Tangmoe, Kik, and Jin). (Photo: Crystal {Philippines} and Lien {Vietnam}, Level 10)

During breaks Park and Au taught me the rules of mak hot (Thai chess), which I first played with saamanen in Singburi. We crumpled up some dried leaves and and picked up some small stones to create the playing pieces. On the last day of class I challenged Au. I came up with a strategy and had my first decisive victory!


Currently reading:
"If I Die in a Combat Zone" - Tim O'Brien

Currently listening to:
Bill Evans Trio - "Alice in Wonderland"
John Coltrane - "Crescent"

BURIALS - PDX 2009
MAJORITY RULE - Page 99 split EP / Interviews with David Frost / Emergency Numbers

Songkran

Songkran 3

Thai people were crowded onto the backs of pickups with large barrels of water, driving down the street yelling and splashing water on cars and pedestrians and motorcycles in all directions.

On the corner of a sidewalk on Nimmanhaeman a young boy hid in a large metal barrel of water, body immersed in the water with only his head peeking out, jumping up, screaming in joy and soaking anyone passing by.

A group of people on the side of the street wandered into the middle of the road every time a motorcycle cruised up, obstructing the way and forcing every motorcycle to come to a halt, dumping bucketfuls of water over everyone’s head.

I went to a coffee shop on a Nimmanhaeman Soi where I was safe and dry for the moment, to read Invisible Man and listen to Eric Dolphy live at the 5 Spot in NY.

A group of people including a police officer huddled around a teenager collapsed and motionless on the ground. Apparently he got in a drunken motorcycle accident. Ambulances came blaring down Nimmanhaeman.

Antalai mak mak! Mao! exclaimed the girl in the coffee shop as she brewed some green tea (Very dangerous! He’s drunk!) Eventually he regained consciousness and drove off with two of his friends on the bike.

Songkran 2

Young kids on the side of Sirimankalajarn were laughing, splashing buckets of water over every car and motorcycle passing. An ambulance with sirens flashing came blaring down the street.

Book – a Thai musician who has performed for the royal family – allowed me to practice on the grand piano at his house. I rode to Soi 11 and worked on 10-12 and Nocturne in F Minor.

I jumped in a songtaew with some people from Bangkok to get to Wat Prasing in the old city, where I planned to meet my old friend P Tin from Singburi (central Thailand). Driving alongside the moat we were soaked with water from many people dunking buckets into the moat and throwing the moat water into the backs of songtaews and onto the cars. “Aaaa! Mai sa-aaht!” screamed a Bangkok transvestite from the back of the songtaew (the water from the moat isn’t clean!)

The old city was overflowing with people, and I felt claustrophobic among all the bodies; it took about half an hour just to walk from Wat Pra Sing to Wat Chedi Luang. But it was so good to see my friend P Tin, who drove 6 hours to see the festival in Chiang Mai. Last time I saw her was over a year ago in Singburi. We lit candles and paid respects at Wat Chedi Luang and then talked near Rajadamnern over fresh pad Thai.

Songkran 1

I’m listening to Thelonious Monk on Sirimankalajarn / Huay Kaew. It’s Saturday, the day before Songkran festival and the streets are already soaked.

During this holiday, Thai people release the bad of the previous year and welcome the new year (2552) by splashing water around the old city of Chiang Mai for 5 days straight; an epic water fight in which no one is spared.

Chiang Mai is the chaotic center of the festivities; the city fills up with Thais from other provinces and international visitors, but many of the Lanna people return to their provinces of origin during the holiday to visit their families.

Cruising on my motorbike past the 3 Kings Monument to pick up some fresh watermelon juice from a local vendor, a young girl squirted me with a water gun and laughed.

I went to Lanna Music school to work on Revolutionary 10-12 and practice Chopin’s Nocturne in F Minor, when it started pouring rain from out of nowhere, sky booming with thunder and lightning. The rain died down as quickly as it came.

Riding home out of the old city on my motorbike from Wat Chedi Luang along Moon Muang was terrifying. I cruised slowly and cautiously, in survival mode. The streets were not only slick and wet from the rain, but people along the moat were already filling up buckets of water and splashing them onto the street. People soaked me with bucketfuls of old water and laughed as I was riding my motorbike down Moon Muang.

According to the Bangkok Post thousands of people get in accidents and hundreds die every year during Songkran. I have vowed not to ride my motorcycle into the old city during Songkran…I don’t want to risk it!

Red Shirts

In December anti-government protestors - sua luang (yellow shirts) occupied both Bangkok’s international and domestic airports, demanding that the prime minister step down from power.

Now the opposition party previously in power – sua deng (red shirts) are gathering in mass protests in Bangkok, red-shirt taxi drivers blocking the streets and masses of people overtaking democracy monument.

X-Prime Minister Thaksin, who faces serious prison time in the Thai kingdom of he ever returns for corruption while he was in power (he fled the trial for which he was convicted guilty) is supposedly encouraging the protestors through videos from undisclosed locations.

The situation seems to get more chaotic and violent by the day.

Most of the action is in Bangkok; but today I saw a red-shirt, grey mask concealing his face all except eyes and mouth, bombing down Rajadamnern on a motorcycle like a kamikaze, the Thai national flag waving wildly on the back of his bike.

Most Thai people I talk to (from various provinces of the Kingdom) identify with neither red nor yellow shirts - not wanting to take sides in the conflict, just hoping to see some semblance of peace and unity in the country’s government.

Dry Season

We headed up to Mae Hong Son. It was pouring rain, the first of the season, which the locals welcomed in rejoice; the cold rain made the air fresh, cleaning out the toxins and washing away the smoke of the slash and burn agriculture pouring in from the surrounding hill-tribe villages.

After the rain died down we rented Honda motorbikes and cruised all around the surrounding area of Pai.

The first night we rode to a red canyon descending deep into the rocky soil below, silhouette of mountains on the horizon, as the gray sky faded to black. The next day we rode past the canyon, over WWII bridge and onto a dirt trail that led to the temple on the hill. We ascended the hill and reached the temple to see a view of the entire valley.

We returned into town and headed east, riding into a Chinese village. We climbed up a steep mountain, where many villagers lived and young children were screaming with excitement at the sight of a gang of fighting dogs. We drove off road through red soil,eventually arriving at a waterfall.

The next day we hiked for about 25-30 kilos through the mountains of Mae Hong Son. I was amazed at the contrast between what lay before me now and the way I remembered this environment; I walked through this terrain almost a year ago, during the rainy season when the jungles were lush and green, the rivers were high and it was pouring rain. It was a totally different environment now, during the dry season. Everything was hot and humid, and the effects of slash and burn agriculture left entire stretches of the forest burnt to the ground, blackened branches fallen into scorched ash. The dense smoke comes sifting down into the villages and down into the city Chiang Mai. Jakka-jahn insects shrieked in the trees.

T and P Manit led us into the cold darkness of three different caves on the outskirts of the tribal villages. Bats fluttered through the darkness as we entered into the caverns, tiny crystals in the stalagmites and stalagtites sparkling in the light of our candle / flashlights. One of the caves had a large wooden coffin in the center, which once contained the bodies of villagers.

We stayed at a tribal village, where chickens and pigs and stray dogs roamed. We drank whisky with some villagers and then ate tom yum mu, rice, and mixed vegetables before falling asleep on the bamboo floor with aching muscles.

We returned to Chiang Mai and watched KILL BILL Vol 1. and 2.

Atsuko Seta

On Monday we saw a Japanese pianist named Atsuko Seta from Osaka, Japan perform at AUA. She was absolutely amazing. The first half of the performance was all pieces by Chopin. She even played two songs I have been working on (Nocturne in C# minor, and Etude 10-12 Revolutionary), and I really enjoyed hearing her interpretation of the music. She was very fluid and precise in her playing; her dynamics and command of the instrument were extremely inspiring.

The second set consisted of Japanese music. She played shamisen style music from northern Japan written during the aftermath of WWII, which she arranged for piano. She was able to produce a sharp staccato sound out of the piano, emulating the percussive sound of bachi against the strings of the shamisen.

Wat Umong / 3 Kings

My friends from the Bay Area took the train from BKK to Chiang Mai, arriving on Saturday. The air was the worst I have ever seen it; everything was veiled in a dark gray haze, and the vast majority of pedestrians and people on motorcycles were strapped with surgical masks or respirators to filter out the smog.

Haggard, unshaven, and strapped with huge backpacks, they met me in front of Central Kad Suan Kaew; Kyle wearing an old torn and unwashed Dead Kennedys shirt, Teddie limping up the stairs, covered with wounds from swimming through the coral reefs of Koh Tao and burns from jumping through flaming jump ropes on Ko Pha Ngan. It was such a relief to see these familiar faces!

The next day we went to Wat Chedi Luang. We met a young monk from Laos who stays at the temple, and we proceeded to sit down with him and talk about his lifestyle and beliefs. In spite of the occasional difficulties of the language barrier he was very patient, and wanted to do everything he could to explain Buddhist concepts and guiding principles to us.

Later we talked to another monk from Laos studying at the school adjacent Wat Chedi Luang. He was preparing to visit America for the first time in early April, so he was asking us about the culture & pace of life in New York, where he plans on going after conducting an interview with the American Embassy in Chiang Mai.

The first monk told us about a temple in Chiang Mai called Wat Umong, which he described as a “forest temple”. Intrigued, we took a songtaew to this temple.

When we arrived, there was a loud constant noise that sounded like the grinding of a motor. The abrasive sound came and went in waves. I was confused about the source of this noise. Later I learned that it was coming from swarms of insects in the trees that Thais call jakka-jahn. These insects thrive in the hot and dry season. They are large and black, but usually remain unseen, hiding in the leaves and branches of trees. The only traces to be seen are in the vibrations of the leaves. Street vendors fry them and sell them on the streetsides of Bangkok.

Wat Umong is an expansive territory hidden in dense forest. We made our way through the many trees and Buddhist relics to a brick structure with large tunnels on the inside. We came to the entrance and entered the cold darkness. At the end of the tunnels, Buddha images were illuminated with the wavering light of candles. Smoke of incense filled the air.

We continued past an ancient tree with an enormous trunk and roots extending deep into the ground. He walked over a bridge towards a pond, where many people were sitting peacefully on an island and feeding bread to the catfish.

On Sunday we wandered through Chiang Mai walking street. As midnight approached we sat in front of 3 Kings Monument, where Thai kids were break-dancing to Wu-Tang Clan, skateboarding and doing tricks on a rail, and doing tricks on fixed gear bikes.

Air

During this time of year people in the surrounding villages burn their crops (as part of the traditional process of slash and burn agriculture). Unfortunately it is common practice for villagers to scorch all of their trash, leaving bags of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste smoldering on the side of the road, creating terrible fumes.

As a result, the days are hot and the air quality is getting increasingly worse. Combine this with the stench of foul dark fumes constantly belching out of the exhaust pipes of tuk tuks and songtaews, and the conditions more closely resemble Bangkok (the Kingdom's capital city with air arguably worse than our own City of Angels).


Sometimes the air stings your eyes. At some points in the day the air is hazy and the visibility is not clear; sky blue turns to dark gray on the horizon. At night the moon is tinted a dark yellowish orange color from the toxins. Chiang Mai natives explain that the best indicator of the air quality is whether or not you can see the temple Doi Suthep on the mountain to the west.

A British man who has been living here 9 years told me that after a routine check-up at the hospital the doctor asked how much he smokes. He was not expecting this question, because he never smokes cigarettes; still, the impurities of the air have affected his respiratory system as if he has been a chain-smoker for years. Lately I have been feeling the effects too. Any serious aerobic exercise outside leaves you feeling dirty, with burning lungs.

Many people riding motorcycles are wearing surgeon masks or respirators to filter out the pollution, which is more characteristic of Bangkok conditions. I know one man who, after he puts on the racing helmet and respirator, looks like a Storm Trooper as he jumps on his
motorcycle and cruises down Rajadamnern.

On my motorcycle I now wear a combat helmet and an air filter mask like the guitarist in Tokyo noise / grind band Melt Banana.

I am at the midpoint of Term 2 at AUA Chiang Mai. The classes are going very well. I have a police captain (SWAT team instructor) in my first Level 5 class, which keeps me on my toes. He is older than the rest and a little more serious, but I like his character and I'm honored to be his teacher.

Last night I watched an amazing David Lynch film. I love the dark surreal atmosphere he creates. The dreamlike images keep repeating in my mind.

Solitude is a hard-won ally, faithful and patient
-Henry Rollins

Wat Arun, Bangkok

As the boat approached Wat Arun the ancient temple was illuminated with bright lights and there was music emanating from the shore.

The courtyards of Wat Arun were crowded with people. Nam prik and other Thai food was being sold in small kiosks.

Climbing up the steep stairs of the temple as the sun was descending over the city of Bangkok, the Chao Praya river was soaked in deep orange and crimson tones.

Loud music blared and increased in tempo as night fell and energetic Muay Thai fighters sparred outside the temple. The boxers were fast w/ reflexes like lightning. During some of the fights they used weapons like swords, bows, and whips.

During one of the matches a young girl dressed in sky blue was armed with nothing but a metal shield as 4 attackers with weapons approached her.

Screaming with all her force and gritting her teeth, she countered their strikes with speed and agility in a mass attack, overtaking them and rendering them defenseless.

Back in Chiang Mai, I am continuing to work on Chopin's Etude Opus 10-12 in C minor Revolutionary - a fast and powerful piece that is challenging me with syncopation, subtle melodic variations, and new techniques.

Currently listening to: DRAGON STRING ATTACK - God of Shamisen

Rama VIII Bridge

I woke up Sunday morning and walked through the hot and humid Bangkok streets to Saphan Kwai BTS Skytrain station.

I met up with my friend Nay in a park near Rama VIII bridge.  We took a water ferry down the Chao Praya river near Wat Prakeaw, and then crossed the river to get to Wat Arun temple.  

Bangkok

After finishing the most intensive term yet at AUA Chiang Mai, I decided to head down to Bangkok for a short break.

Saturday night I took a 9-hour bus ride from Chiang Mai into Bangkok.  As the last hours of daylight faded and the bus disappeared into the night I drifted out of consciousness listening to the droning sounds of Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

The bus arrived early in the morning, the city sky still pitch black.  Tuk tuk drivers got all up in my face begging to drive my somewhere, anywhere, as I was still struggling to wake up.  Rats skittered across the streets and disappeared into gutters of the trash-strewn streets leading up to Sukhumvit.  

Eventually I stopped near Saphan Khwai and got some sleep.

Lanna villages

I just went on a beautiful bike ride through rice fields and small villages of northern Chiang Mai; expansive rice fields irrigated by the canal running alongside them, lush  agricultural land bordered by the Ping river.  

Central to all the small villages scattered among the fields are bright Buddhist temples.

Brad and I also passed a house with walls made of mud...the owner of this building has gained a reputation in the area for her work with victims of domestic abuse.  The site is a retreat for spiritual healing.

Yesterday I was practicing the last half of Chopin's Nocturne 9 No. 2.  The basic structure and themes carry on throughout the song, but the variations are complex with syncopation and ascending chromatic scales. After that I had ripe pineapples from Chiang Rai.  Amazing, sweet and delicious.

I went to see some free jazz at North Gate jazz club on Moon Muang in the northeast corner of the moat.  The guitarist was spazzing out like he was in the clutch of some trance during his incredible, crazy solos.  

Now I am listening to Blues and Abstract Truth as Peppermint cafe closes and the streets of Chiang Mai fill with merchants of the Sunday market.