Thailand People and Culture Through My Eyes
Hello my world travelers,
What's the good news? Where have you been recent? I truly want to hear all about it. I am already planning my next big trip, which is going to be Barcelona. I have the bug, and I am going to take every opportunity to explore that comes my way. I just love meeting new people and learning about their cultures.
What I truly loved about Thailand, is that people were so excited to learn about me and my beliefs.
It was a match made in heaven.
I was recently out to dinner with a very good friend, whom of course wanted to know everything about my trip. I went on and on about the people, the food, the beauty, the elephants and the Temples. It was so cool to share stories with someone who truly cared about my journey and was excited about all my little stories.
The fascinating part has she just had another friend that was in Thailand on vacation. But what they highlighted was a bit different from me. They mentioned it was really really hot and how there were just squat holes for toilets and you had to bring your own paper.
As my friend was asking me about some of these things, I realized that I didn’t even notice any of this stuff.
Yes, it was hot but I like the heat. I didn’t notice the toilets, but maybe I only went at the hotels.
Crazy is it… You realize that everyone looks through different eyes and sees different things.
Then another friend of mine said when I got home, that she was glad I wasn’t calling from the Thailand prison…???? Huh?. She told me the story about something she had heard about planting drugs on you.
Well, I am not sure if it was Thailand, or where it was, but I can tell you I never felt safer.
Thailand is definitely a must see place and I felt quite at home with the Buddhist Temples. I know how meditation has changed my life, and it's part of my routine in the morning and night. Getting your head in the right space before you leave the house makes all the difference. It doesn’t have to be long and there really are no rules, you just want to clear your head to allow all the positive to come your way.
Hey did you know?
Meditation has so many benefits, and it was so amazing to travel to a place so involved in its history.
“Buddhism is largely credited in the expansion of mediation. Buddha (The Awakened One), was an ancient sage viewed as a mediation icon all over the world. Buddha teachings, which largely incorporate meditation practices, became very popular in Asia and were later adopted by other cultures and countries:.
http://www.mindbodyvortex.com/fascinating-meditation-facts/
There are also huge benefits to meditation.
“It Makes Your Brain Plastic… Quite literally, sustained meditation leads to something called neuroplasticity, which is defined as the brain's ability to change, structurally and functionally, on the basis of environmental input. For much of the last century, scientists believed that the brain essentially stopped changing after adulthood. But research by University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Richard Davidson has shown that experienced meditators exhibit high levels of gamma wave activity and display an ability -- continuing after the meditation session has attended -- to not get stuck on a particular stimulus. That is, they're automatically able to control their thoughts and reactiveness.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/15/7-fascinating-facts-about_n_899482.html
That means that you can actually train your brain to learn easier, adapt to your surroundings faster, and to be more open to other perspectives. Sound familiar?
My last little tip, besides finding a meditation practice that works for you. Be open to other ways of life and take every opportunity you can to understand their culture.
Ohh, yeah, another thing, you can listen to what other people say about where to travel, but in the end follow your heart, because you bring you with you and your eyes.
Much love and joy
-SJW