3 posts in the span of 24 hrs....

So, a semi-wise person once advised me NOT to sit in front of the computer all day while traveling. I can't help it. Sometimes, there is so much going on during the span of just a few hours or one day, I feel the need to document or else the moment is fleeting and forgotten. (Don't worry, I'm still out and enjoying the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Just need a short break to gather my thoughts and rest my feet.)

During my first night in Bangkok, my friend Tan introduced me an individual she met in her MBA program and became friends with (this is the same person whom I had a memorable conversation with about Thai politics). Well, we stayed in touch via phone and text yesterday and decided on meeting up for lunch this afternoon. After talking about the three weeks he spent in October training in monk-hood and giving me a personal lesson in Buddhism, he actually decided that he was going to join me for the Open Water scuba course starting tomorrow in Koh Tao. Talk about spontaneous. This isn't your normal easy every day kind of trek. We're supposed to take an overnight bus to Chumphon and then take a ferry to get to Koh Tao. The course lasts three and a half days and consists of full days of instruction, tests, and open water dives. This was going to be a commitment. I'm not sure if this is common nature of Thai people, but I have found most to be fairly flexible and open-minded.

Not to jump around on topics, but I'd like to touch back onto Buddhism. Since I was a young child (before moving to the States), I could recall holding my grandmother's hand and walking into various temples with her in Hong Kong. I distinctly remember the thick smells of burning incense sticks and elderly Chinese people (you know, the usual suspects: moth balls, tiger balm, Chinese medicine, etc.). At that time, I did not know much about the religion, its history, nor why my grandmother was so adamant about frequenting these temples and paying her respect. I just knew that she strictly practiced, would obediently bow to the golden figures, close her eyes, and her mouth would move, but I was not able to hear any words come out of it. My grandmother is not the most logical, rational woman I've ever met (not even close), yet I have always been fascinated by the intensity in which she believes in the afterlife, in karma, and in the merits of your present life and how your actions will lead to certain consequences. Having been raised Catholic, I really didn't have the opportunity to explore Buddhism in a small town of 9,000 in central California. After talking with my new friend today over lunch, I have peaked a newfound interest in the art of meditation and how it might be beneficial to my health and state of mind. Now if I could only find a place in San Francisco where I can easily drown out the noise of sirens and passing cars, not in my bedroom that's for sure.