Christmas Wish 2012

Lapa, Brasil

Another year has passed and once again it is one of Christianity's most holiest of holidays - Christmas

Hanoi, Vietnam

Bangkok, Thailand

Cusco, Peru

Curitiba, Brasil

This year I wish for everyone something that I am unable to purchase, make, or even give to you.

It is something that you can not even purchase for yourself.

I wish you ... Peace.

I am not wishing you "Peace" as in the lack of violence, or armed conflict, for to achieve that would require the cooperation and good will of far too many people, all people that I and you have no control over.

The peace that I wish for you this season is the peace that you can create and find within yourself.

The peace that comes from knowing that you have done your best and done all that you could.

The peace that comes from accepting and being comfortable with who you are.

The peace that comes from knowing that tomorrow will be better and the next day even better than   that.

The peace that comes from helping others in all the ways that you are able.

The peace that comes from living everyday as if it could be your last day.

The peace that comes from knowing that your beliefs and values are valid, and that although you have expressed them, you are not responsible to convince others nor do you need their agreement.

The peace that comes from knowing that others are not responsible for your happiness.

The peace that comes from knowing and accepting that you are not responsible for other's happiness.

The peace that comes from living your life as you choose rather than as you suspect others may expect you to.

The peace that comes from being self reliant and confident.

So for this season, I am wishing you the peace of happiness.

Getting By With Less and the Value of Fit For Purpose

A Monk Donates Excess Sticky Rice to Young Boy
Luang Prabang, Lao People's Democratic Republic

As we approach the last few days and the crescendo of this year's Christmas shopping season, I have been reflecting upon recent events and past experiences that, for me, puts the whole commercialization of this season into a different perspective.

One year ago, my wife and I made a return visit to Laos, more specifically the former royal capital of Luang Prabang.  We had gone there to document the celebration of Hmong New Years in early December.  I have previously written about the journey but there were some scenes which I photographed which made a strong impression upon me.  The photograph above is one of them.

Each morning, the Monks go out early from their Wats and walk along prescribed routes.  They are carrying their their alms bowl in which people will place donations of food for the Monks.  The morning walks are called "Bin Tha Bat" and the the act of making offerings of food to the Monks is called "Tak Bat".

Luang Prabang is a tourist destination and the street where our hotel, actually more like a B&B, was located is used by many of the high priced resorts that are located outside of the central district.  Early in the morning you can hear and see vehicles of all types discharging tourists on the south side of the street where they set up on woven reed mats, sahts, awaiting the arrival of the Monks.  Even though there can be as many as 30 to 40 Monks passing by, the Monks are far surpassed in numbers by the tourists as well as local people wishing to make merit by making offerings of food to the Monks.

The alms bowls are rather large and the Monks are allowed to eat only one or two meals a day by noon.  The number of meals is set forth by the order to which the Monk belongs.  No matter the case, a filled alms bowl is too much food for two meals let alone one meal and I am referrring to a Westerner's capacity to eat.  Monks are not allowed to store food or to cook so there is an excess food problem.

A Monk does not cover his bowl when he deems that he has just enough food for his meal(s) for to do so would be to deny some people the opportunity to earn merit by offering food.  When the bowl is filled, the Monk covers the bowl.  In Thailand, the excess food is made available to the people after the Monks have eaten.  Typically in the smaller villages, the people who brought  food to the Wat for the Monks, will sit down and eat the surplus food as the Monks eat.  It has a festive air and a nice social gathering for all involved.  In the larger towns and cities, poor people will go to the Wats to be fed after the Monks have taken their food to eat.  Any food remaining is fed to the Wat dogs and cats.

In Luang Prabang, as the photo shows, the Monks periodically as they walk along their route, will stop and give some of their excess food to young children who are either waiting along the route or tagging along with the Monks.  This act is good for all parties involved; the Monks have the food that they need, the people are able to make merit, and poor people obtain food for their families.

The photo above is not a new photo and has been posted on this blogsite before.  But as people often say in Thailand:  "It is same same but different".  "Same same" in that it is the photograph that I had used before.  Different?  It is different in the way that I post processed the original file.  The original photograph had a dark and very distinct shadow around the boy as well as around the clump of sticky rice that is on its way into the boy's plastic basket.  When I first posted the photograph, I had used Photoshop Elements 7.0 to eliminate the harsh shadows that I believe were a distraction from the tone of the photograph that I wanted to convey.  For this revision of the photograph I used different techniques that I learned over the Internet to eliminate the distractions in the photograph to, in my opinion, better convey the spirit of that moment.

Since that time, I have received notification of a new version of Photoshop Elements - Photoshop Elements 10.0.  Oh my gosh three versions more advanced than what I have and I am using!  I was also considering getting a full version of Photoshop.  A full version of Photoshop would cost me around $700 - OUCH!!  However IF I were a student or even a teacher, I could buy the program for around $179.   ????  Don't ask me why but that is how Adobe has decided to market their software - great if you are a student or a teacher; terrible if you are not.  In my research as to how I might obtain a copy of the latest version of Photoshop for a great deal less than $700, I came under the impression that if  I knew what I was doing in Photoshop Elements 7.0, I could do the things that I NEEDED to do and could do with the full current version of the $700 program - just not as easily or quickly.  The big thing was the ability to use a mask on the photograph.  A mask greatly facilitates the manipulation of a great variety of effects and adjustments to an original photograph.

Three weeks ago, I found a free plugin on the Internet that provided for the easy as well as effective creation and use of a mask in PSE7.  Someone with the knowledge and skill had created a program that made the creation of a mask quite easy.  More importantly that person had the generosity to share with others their work.  I now have an essential tool for free to edit some of my photographs.  For more traditional portrait type work and glamour photography masks are essential tools for producing a finished product.  My documentary style of photography will remain unchanged but for my development of traditional portrait and glamour styles, I will be utilizing the mask.

I no longer am considering the need to purchase either the full Adobe Photoshop product or the latest version of Photoshop Elements.  My old program and the training to use it that I have found on the Internet is all that I really NEED.  It is sort of like a car ... a faster, sleeker, and more technically advanced vehicle would be nice.  There is no denying that.  It would make an impression on family and neighbors but it would not serve my needs of grocery shopping, taking my parents on their errands, or picking up my wife at the airport any better and definitely not any cheaper than the 7 year old car that I have now.

Lately, I have been able to see my wife and my Thai grandson on the webcam over the Internet.  Part of the ritual involves my grandson, Peelawat, showing me either his toys or his clothes.  He is just as pleased with all of them.  Peelawat is an ethnic Lao Loum child.  He does not have all that many toys.  In fact at one time he was playing with peanut shells as a substitution for toy cars.  He is now going to school with the assistance of Duang and I.  We pay for his school and there is no limit to the joy we have in seeing or hearing of his enthusiasm each morning as he heads off to school.  My wife had to leave school after four years to work in the rice fields for the family.  Her children were fed each morning at the Wat in the city.  We can make a difference in Peelawat's life; not in the number or type of toys or clothes that he has but in ensuring that he has food as well as the opportunity to obtain a good education.  We hope that he has the opportunity to be all that he can be or that he chooses to be.

Today, through Facebook, I received a kind note from a former teacher of mine.  She has read some of my blogs and remarked that I have seen more of the world than most of my teachers.  She shared the link to my blog and I was impressed that she is still teaching others after all these years.  Since I have returned to America, I have spoken with three of my former teachers.  I am pleased that I can "pay forward" the tools and passion that they instilled in me years ago by writing and photographing some of the places and people that I encounter.  In sharing my experiences and observations with other, I see myself as commencing to pay back some of my debt to them as well as all the other past and present teachers in my life.  Although some of us do not have the certificates or collect a paycheck for teaching, we are all teachers in some way.  We through our words and deeds instruct those about us and around us.  We decide the subject matter as well as the perspective that our teachings will have. It is a power that is often misunderstood and sometimes abused.

Ok.  This blog has now dealt with Christmas shopping, Monks, Photoshop Elements, grandchildren, and teachers.  What is it all about?  What does it all mean?  No, I have not started drinking Christmas cheer too much or even already.  These things have a common thread of "getting by (not buy) with less and the value of fit for purpose"

Many people will work themselves into a frenzy or go more into debt looking for the "perfect" gift this week.  Perfect most likely being defined as expensive and impressive either in quality or quantity.  Materialism and commercialism dictate so much of our behavior here in Western world and it is never so more apparent than during the Christmas Season.

The truth of the matter is that these gifts are more likely than not will be excessive and not fit for purpose.  What is the purpose of a gift?  Is it to impress,  iintimidate, or humble the recipitant?  Or is a gift merely an expression of love, appreciation, or respect.  Is a whispered "I love you" any less valuable, sincere or meaningful than "I love you" flashed across a stadium scoreboard?

Today's expensive gift will soon become blasse and perhaps forgotten while the gift that we all want remains cherished and valuable for all of time.

The gift that we all want and cherish is to have others share of themselves with us.  Be it sharing resources, caring for the physical or emotional needs, or teaching through instruction or by example the gift is always fit for purpose.  The purpose is to let others know that they matter, we care for them, we respect them, and that they can make a difference in this world.  It truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

I have learned this from all my teachers past and present.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve - Already?

I was planning on writing a blog today related to the two Buddhist funerals and the village exorcism that I witnessed on Wednesday of this week here in Isaan.  It was only when I sat down to commence writing the blog that I realized that today is Christmas Eve here.

To be honest, I am not comfortable writing and sharing Animist and Buddhist rituals on the eve of one of Christianity's two most holy of holidays.  Yes despite the focus on holiday sales statistics and their possible impact on the economy, the focus of Christmas should be on the reasons for the holiday to begin with.  I do not want to disrespect the holiday by detracting from the Christian beliefs.  There will be other times to share some of the unique aspects and insights of life in Isaan.

I can imagine all the husbands and fathers busy finishing up with the last bit of shopping for gifts.  Once they have returned home, they will spend hours assembling the bicycles, big wheels, and wagons to place under the Christmas tree for early morning discovery by their children.  Of course there will be some of Santa's cookies, milk, as well as some of the reindeer's carrots to sustain them until they can finally go to bed.

There are many ways to measure the passage of time and one of them for me is reminiscing about Christmas's past.  I have written about some of them before but at this time of the year the memories of Christmas's past just keep on coming.

I remember one of my father's aunts, an aunt that we only saw once a year at the family Christmas Eve Smorgasbord.  She still retained a Swedish accent and when questioned how she was doing she would reply "Well not so good you know I have been feeling kind of poorly".  Years later I leaned that she had been feeling kind of poorly since my dad was a young boy in the 1930s.  She continued to feel kind of poorly long after I had grown up and moved away.  She continued to feel kind of poorly until she died in her 90s.

As a young man and father, I celebrated New Year's Eve with special traditions.  I had been married on Christmas Eve in 1971 so for 15 years, Christmas Eve was celebrated with a special meal either at home or at a special restaurant, drinking champagne or sparkling wine purchased the year before in the Pewter wedding goblet, and after dinner I joined all the other fathers in wrapping boxes as well as assembling toys. The marriage ended and then the children were grown with lives of their own.

As life moved on Christmas Eve evolved with modified traditions and in many cases new traditions.  Change is inevitable and can overwhelm us if we resist.  However if we bend with the changes our life can be enriched and even made better.

The memories of Christmas past can provide us with comfort and solace as we move on in life.  The adapting and creation of new traditions can sustain us as we write the new chapters and assume new roles of our life.

For this Christmas Eve, Duang and I , wish that everyone is able to take comfort in their Christmas pasts and allow themselves to make happy memories for the Christmas to come.

For our Christian friends  we hope that the true meaning of Christmas remains a big part of your celebrations and joy.  Although the ideals of the holiday are often not upheld it is the constant trying to bring peace and joy to the world that must continue.  We can't cave in to cynicism for the world actually starts with each of us.  If we can bring peace and joy to ourselves the world will well on its way.

An Isaan Christmas

As Christmas comes to a close on the West Coast of the USA, we are half way through the next day here in Isaan.

We had a very nice Christmas yesterday in Isaan. In the morning we loaded up the truck with the Christmas cookies that we had baked the previous afternoon - 4 hours of effort. Duang knew intuitively that we would take most of the cookies out to Tahsang Village to give to the little children.

Christmas in Isaan was a normal day. Children had school to attend. Businesses were open. Farmers were working in their fields.

The country roads are now travelled by trucks of all sizes transporting harvested sugar cane to the local refineries. In some areas, where there is readily available water, the paddies are being prepared for a second crop of rice. It will not rain again until May so it is essential that a reliable natural source of ground water be available for a successful crop. Rice in Isaan is grown using the wet land method so most farmers are able to only harvest a single crop per year.

On our way out to Tahsang Village we stopped in the village to bring our grandson, Peelawat, his portion of the cookies. Peelawat was asleep outdoors in a hammock watched over by his Great Grandfather. Peelawat's outfit for the day was laying on the platform underneath his hammock. His Uncle, Duang's son had given him a Christmas Santa Claus suit. It was a red snow suit - pants, jacket and elf hat with white trim.



Peelawat and his mother joined us on our trip out to Tahsang Village. We passed some relatives with their babies walking along the village road and told them to meet us at Duang's mother's house. Soon we had the babies all assembled to receive their cookies. Typical of babies here in Isaan, their faces had been powdered to protect them from the sun. What cookies that the grownups managed to save for themselves were devoured by the children. In five minutes, the product of our four hours of effort were completely devoured. The children were very happy to have some treats and we enjoyed watching them.





After our visit in Tahsang, on our way back to Peelawat's village, we stopped at a local school. At the end of the year there are competitions between the students of the local schools. On Christmas, Tahsang Village was competing against another local village. The school's athletic field was ringed with push carts selling food and drinks. At some of the cement tables and benches that the students use to eat their lunch, some men were congregating drinking Lao Kao (moonshine style whiskey) Under the shade of trees, families and teams were resting, relaxing, and eating picnic style atop sahts (woven reed mats). It was very festive as well as interesting.

The students competed in volleyball, futball (soccer), and takraw. Takraw is similar to volleyball but uses a 12 cm woven rattan ball and you can not use your hands - only your feet and head.

The competition between the schools was fierce but good sportsmanship as well as good manners was very evident. It was quite entertaining. As an added bonus, Tahsang Village was triumphant. The teacher who was also the coach of the volleyball team received money from some of the happy adults. She gave each of the team members 100 baht to buy food and drinks. I am not totally familiar with NCAA rules, but I suspect that players receiving money, albeit $3.00, is some kind of violation. Fortunately, Thailand is not so concerned with student athlete regulations. Also, although the players were no older than 13 years old, I did not observe any potential US university caliber talent. It was just great to see children enjoying themselves and trying their best. It was a great experience.



After returning Peelawat and his mother to their home, we returned to our home to complete our holiday celebration. I made, as best I could, a traditional holiday meal for Duang, her son, and his girlfriend. Many of the ingredients for a traditional meal are available in Isaan but with ingenuity, creativity, substitutions, and alternatives a fine feast was produced - turkey breast, garlic potatoes, stuffing, steamed carrots, gravy, and Christmas cookies. I suspect that they liked it because all plates were cleared.

All and all it was a very pleasant day - a Christmas in Isaan.

As in most aspects of life it amounted to being thankful and enjoying what we have rather than dwelling upon what we don't have or what we would like to have.

Christmas Eve In Isaan

It is now Christmas Eve in Isaan.

Christmas comes early to Thailand - due to the International Date Line.

I got motivated yesterday and decided to share a little of my past and culture with Duang, my Lao Loum wife. I decided to make a traditional Christmas dinner for us, a task made all that more difficult because we live in Isaan. There are many alternatives and substitutions required to recreate an American tradition here.

First of all there is no hoping or wondering if there will be a White Christmas. It does not snow here in Isaan in fact when it does get "cold" here it is more likely to be around 65 to 70F.

Secondly, there are not very many Christians here in Isaan. Like the rest of Thailand 95% of the people are Buddhists. Despite the small number of Christians, ther are Christmas decorations in the malls and many of the businesses. Christmas music is also played in the shopping malls at this time of the year. The overall effect is to provide a flavor of the holiday without the craziness of the season in America. Yesterday we went to the Mall to try to pick up some last minute items for tomorrow's dinner. The Mall was not crowded at all. We were unable to find everything that we need for dinner - items like white wine, pork sausage for stuffing, bread cubes for stuffing, yams, and dates for special Christmas cookies.

Today we drove to another store to see if we could complete our list. At the French based grocery store, we found a bottle of Gewurztraminer - a product of Thailand. I could not find a Wine Spectator rating for 2006 Knight Black Horse wine - no matter the case I am just thankful to find a bottle of white wine. It will be used in the stuffing as well as in the gravy. Whatever is left over we will hopefully enjoy drinking with our meal. I could not find any typical pork sausage so I will substitute some English Breakfast Sausages that I had in the freezer. There were no dates so the stuffed Christmas cookies have figs substituted for the dates. I found some sweet potatoes to substitute for yams in making candied yams. Duang pointed out several worm holes in the 5 remaining potatoes so we will have steamed carrots instead. There is no point in getting upset or stressed in not finding everything to have a traditional celebration. This is Isaan and not America. I am thankful to be able to enjoy the day with my wife and be able to give her a little glimpse into my heritage.

Tonight as I started this blog, I got a phone call from Bangkok. A very good friend of mine from my last job in Thailand and a friend of Duang's called to wish me a Merry Christmas. Just as back in the USA, it is the best wishes of family and friends that truly makes the holiday special.

Today we baked Christmas cookies all afternoon long. Tomorrow we will bring the cookies to our Grandson, Peelawat, and the other children in Tahsang Village. They don't celebrate Christmas or even know about its significance but being children I am certain that they will enjoy the sweet treats. Of course their parents and grandparents can enjoy them too - there will be plenty for all.

When I was divorced and had custody of my two sons, I always made cookies and a traditional meal to celebrate Christmas. That was a long time ago and far away so now the tradition will continue for my new family here in Isaan.

So tonight will be low key and relaxing for us here in Isaan. There are no gifts to wrap. There are no private or family parties for us to attend. There are no wagons, bicycles or hot wheels to assemble. Duang and I will just lounge around and wind down from our long afternoon of baking as well as cleaning. There are drinking pavilions set up along with performing stages set up in downtown Udonthani across from the Mall. They will be open starting tonight until the New Year.

Perhaps New Years Eve, we will check it out but Christmas Eve, for me, is for family and quiet reflection.

Merry Christmas.

21 December 2008 - Christmas Past, Present, and Future

Christmas - Past, Present, and Future
Sunday 21 December 2008

Christmas will arrive here in Thailand in 4 days. Since Thailand is predominately Buddhist, there is not much of the excitement and expectations leading up to the day that people experience in America, Canada, South America, and Europe.

The stores are even less decorated here than they were in Vietnam last year. I was surprised at the amount of decorations and holiday events in Vietnam - what used to be North Vietnam to be exact. I suspect that the Christmas preparations were more commercial in nature than religious or tradition.

Thailand actually has a duty on importing Christmas decorations so they are not readily available. I have not seen a pine, fir, or anything resembling an evergreen tree so there will be no Christmas tree in the house this year. I could decorate a coconut or banana tree but it just doesn't seem appropriate. It definitely does not maintain or even come close to respecting family tradition.

Even when I was in Algeria I had a Christmas tree or rather Christmas branch in my trailer. Prior to leaving Algeria, my wife at the time on one of her walks around the perimeter of the compound where we lived had ripped a branch off of an evergreen tree and put it in a vase inside our trialer for my Christmas. The 12 inch tall branch with the one homemade ornament that my sister sent maintained a holiday tradition.

I have spent Christmas in many places around the world. No matter where I lived; be it in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Texas, Louisiana, California, Brasil, Malaysia, Canada, Algeria, Vietnam each Christmas has been special.

I expect that this one in Thailand will be special too.

One of the benefits of being away from the emotional drama and excessive expectations of the Christmas holiday in the USA, is that I can be more focused on the true significance and meaning of the day.

A recurring underlying theme of this blog is "optimism". Christmas in the Christian sense and true meaning of the day is a celebration of optimism. Through the birth of Jesus, Christians believe that they had received the gift of the promise of eternal salvation.

Here in Thailand, my focus will be on reflecting upon the true meaning of the day and remembering some of the previous Christmases. I will make a special meal of "kao falang" (foreigner food), call family to wish them well, and use the opportunity to explain a little about Christianity to Duang.

As a child, my Christmases were always a time of joy. My sister and I started to get serious about Christmas starting with Thanksgiving. The next big milestone on what seemed to be an endless wait to the big day was our special trip to Montgomery Ward store in New London. Each holiday season, Montgomery Ward would set up a separate store in downtown New London dedicated to Christmas toys. Dad and Mom would take us over to the store one evening to see the decorations and toys - a wondrous night for us.

We always had a nice Christmas tree decorated with old ornaments from Germany and the USA. At that time, China was starving and had no export industry. Japan was starting to export things but the quality was poor and the war had been over for less than 12 years. My favorite ornaments were tubes of liquid that when they were plugged in bubbled. Fire hazards no doubt but beautiful no less. My favorite task in family effort in decorating the tree was to place the "icicles" on the branches. We were advanced for the time - each year we recycled the icicles from previous holidays. Frugal? - Definitely. Environmentally conscious? - No, not yet - they were made out of lead. Yep - lead icicles to decorate the Christmas trees. To this day I miss the feel of those icicles - heavy and crinkled - substantial unlike the wispy emaciated strips of Mylar that is used today.

Christmas Eve was spent at the Swedish Smorgasbord. My favorite food was the Swedish bread - to this day I love the taste and smell of cardamon. The party was held at an old aunt of my Dad's in an old sea captain's house in a old whaling village - a perfect setting for what was usually a white Christmas. There were many relatives and family friends were there. My sister and I were busy with our numerous cousins for the entire evening. I had a favorite man, a cousin to my Dad that I enjoyed talking to each year. Many years later I learned why Mom and Dad always made sure that our conversations were always in public and why he had never married. These were things that were not openly discussed in the 1950's just as was his hospitalization. The interesting people at the gatherings included my second or perhaps third cousin. I considered her to be weird and suspected her to be an albino or what my eight year old mind imagined what an albino would look like. She was not weird because of her looks but to me was her interest in art. ART! That was weird - to me.

Forty years later, at another family get together upon my return from Algeria, unconsciously and unintentionally I extracted from an aunt another reason why she may have been wird - her Mom and Dad were first cousins. I thought that things like that happened only in the South, places like Kentucky, Georgia, or Mississippi - not in the heart of Yankee Land - CONNECTICUT! As embarrassing as it was for my aunt to divulge the family secret, it was amusing as how the secret was finally revealed to the next generation.

After Christmas Mass, we would have Christmas celebration with the French Canadian (Quebecois) side of the family. This was always a great time. I was always embarassed when after several drinks my Grandfather, my Dad, and my Uncle would sit on the sofa and harmonize. Only Dad remains. How great it would be to be so embarrassed again.

Those were the Christmases of my past youth - wonderful memories.

My first wedding was on Christmas Eve. For fifteen years Christmas was especially memorable with the additional celebration of an anniversary. During those years, a fond memory is that of my small sons waking up and running naked through the house to the Christmas tree with all the excitement, wonder, and optimism of small children on a Christmas morning before a pile of awaiting gifts. Now my oldest son has those moments to experience - his present Christmas.

As the year comes to a close, our present Christmas will become another Christmas past. Christmas future awaits us. Like the cycle of rice cultivation here in Isaan, the circle of life will continue.

Just as the first Christmas offered the gift of optimism to a needy and longing people, I hope that this Christmas provides everyone with hope for their future and comfort for the path that they have chosen.

Merry Christmas