Shantideva's Prayer

May all beings everywhere
Plagued by sufferings of body and mind
Obtain an ocean of happiness and joy
By virtue of my merits.

May no living creature suffer,
Commit evil, or ever fall ill.
May no one be afraid or belittled,
With a mind weighed down by depression.

May the blind see forms
And the deaf hear sounds,
May those whose bodies are worn with toil
Be restored on finding repose.

May the naked find clothing,
The hungry find food;
May the thirsty find water
And delicious drinks.

May the poor find wealth,
Those weak with sorrow find joy;
May the forlorn find hope,
Constant happiness, and prosperity.

May there be timely rains
And bountiful harvests;
May all medicines be effective
And wholesome prayers bear fruit.

May all who are sick and ill
Quickly be freed from their ailments.
Whatever diseases there are in the world,
May they never occur again.

May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed;
May the powerless find power,
And may people think of benefiting each other.

For as long as space remains,
For as long as sentient beings remain,
Until then may I too remain
To dispel the miseries of the world.

Just got my stitches out today and wisdom teeth are almost totally healed :)

Spent the last few days in Laos visiting one of my co-worker's sister-in-law, Mocky. Vientiane was amazing and so much quieter than Bangkok, which I loved. I met some of the most amazing people at my hostel and had so much fun wandering around the night market and different street shops with them.

In the mornings Mocky took me around to see some of the main attractions, which included some major temples and shopping markets. It was so hot, though! In the day I was forced to limit myself to the air-conditioned movie room, for my own leisure and honestly.. survival!

I had the most wonderful stay in Thailand and Laos and can't believe it's over!

Now I'm off to Kathmandu, Nepal to stay at Kopan Monastery and do a four week meditation course. 

I don't think I know what I'm in for... but hey who ever does ;)

I do know it involves no outside contact with the world, aka no facebook, no email, no phone calls. Nothing.

In case of emergency you can email kopan@mail.com.np and they will notify me.

Here we go!

Wisdom teeth woes

Before:

Tomorrow morning I'm getting my wisdom teeth extracted.  I'M SHAKING IN MY BED.

What am I thinking?  Well I was thinking: I'll be saving money, BIDC has amazing reviews and wonderful service, and I really can't put it off any longer.. so it must be done.

But now I'm not so sure. I mean I'm a million miles away. If I die I wont even be able to speak any last words because they're will be knives in my mouth. They could be discussing selling my organs and such, and I won't even know because they'll be speaking in Thai. and GAHHHHHHH. What am I going to survive on, coconut milk??

We've invented skype, facebook, whatsapp.. the virtual world has created an endless range of opportunities to contact loved ones at a distance, but WHY ISN'T THERE A VIRTUAL HAND HOLDING APP. I need my mom's hand. Like really. 

Yeppp. send me some prayers. THIS IS THE END.

After:

Okay, so I thought I might need to apologize for my dramatic post, but it truly was very dreadful, so my fear was quite appropriate. Yes, the service was amazing and they were so nice. But, apparently my teeth were really complicated and the roots were curved, so it was a really difficult, TIME CONSUMING procedure. It was supposed to take around an hour and it took over THREE hours!

How do I know this? Because I was awake for the entire procedure. They had local anaesthetic, but they didn't have access to any type of sedation. Which for out of all people, they probably needed (I'm sure they wanted me to have it more than I wanted to have it). I was on the verge of kicking and screaming. But hey at least I couldn't FEEL any pain. Just immense pressure and pulling. I was seriously terrified they were going to break my jaw, they were pulling, pulling, pulling!

Thank goodness for my ipod and Paper Kites, or I might not have made it.

They did at least give some decent pain pills, so even though directly after I was rocking on my bed, the pain has eased up. 

Now 24 hours later, I am still alive. But am living in fear of tearing my stitches or getting dry socket. 

And truly the most impossible part, is being here in Thailand and being restricted to my bed when there is SO much to see and do. These Thai commercials and soaps are driving me insane and a girl can only watch so much BBC. 

On the bright side, they do bring me chocolate ice cream and other western wise tooth delicacies straight to my door. So all in all, I think I'll be okay. 

chocolate ice cream, tomatoe soup, and mashed potatoes

day by day. day by day. Soon I can go out and play.

Elephant Nature Park

The days I spent volunteering at Elephant Nature Park were truly some of the most amazing. I've never been to such an incredible place, nor met such an incredible women with such a massive heart!

The lady who started ENP, Lek Chailer, is very passionate about animals and wanted to save elephants who are maltreated during tourism. 

 Lek founded Elephant Nature Park in 1996. Elephant Nature park aims to provide a sanctuary for elephants to live in a peaceful natural environment. A veterinarian from the park also provides medical care to sick elephants in remote areas. The park's current herd includes disabled, orphaned, blind, and rescued elephants of all ages. These elephants are rescued from street begging, logging, or tourism.Elephant Nature Park has rescued over 37 distressed elephants throughout the country and has received numerous awards from institutions including the Smithsonian.

And trust me, some of them are truly maltreated. Some of the elephants we met had their eyes stabbed out and were blinded, while others were severely neglected. One elephant lost her baby while being forced to carry loads while giving birth, and she was so devastated she refused to work, so they beat her and starved her until she would work again.

 I will never understand how anyone can be so cruel. 

It is truly sad, as elephants are such a big tourist attraction and so many of the common treks taken by visitors in Thailand include elephant rides or elephant shows. It's understandable as they are truly such amazing creatures. But these elephants many times live in really harsh conditions and suffer quite a bit.

Lek has dedicated her whole life and all of her money to this cause, and she has done some seriously amazing work! Not only does she provide a shelter for abused and rescued elephants, but she has also rescued water buffalo from the slaughterhouse, and even taken in stray cats and dogs.

Baby Ellie!

Elephant who stepped on a landmine :( 

As a matter of fact, she has over 400 abandoned and abused dogs at the park many of whom remain in a different shelter. It is so sad to hear all of their stories, and many of them can't even manage being around people because they were so mistreated.

Of course, most of the dogs love the attention and long for nothing more than a belly rub and some cuddles. 

I was constantly surprised by the amount of dogs lying around by the dinner area, yet none of them begged for food. Winston would have been in heaven begging each patron to drop him some treats!

I really can't even fathom how someone couldn't love these creatures. I could have stayed and watched the elephants and cuddled the dogs and cats all day everyday.

 

While volunteering, I met Zoey from London who had quit her job and was taking a year to travel all around Southeast Asia. We spent the most time together as others from our group were older or didn't speak English.

The dog and cat waiting outside
the door with me and Zoey

After having a few beers by the bonfire set up for various volunteers, we were heading back to our bungalows. Zoey stayed two bungalow's down from me, so since I had the torch, I walked her to her place and then went back to mine. However, before I even made it back to my walkway, she shouted, "Nat, I might have a problem, can you come have a look?" I of course, hurried back not knowing what to expect-- and what did I find? A cat had made it's way in to her bungalow and was snuggled up on her pillow!

Adorable yes, but of course we have no idea where the cat has been. And even though they seem very well taken care of, it still isn't recommended to open up your doors to all the strays, as in the words of Hemingway "one cat leads to another". And then you wake up feeling like Snow White.

While attempting to lure the cat outside the door, two more cats and a dog came up to the balcony and attempted to enter the room! It was seriously the sweetest yet saddest thing ever, as of course I wanted to let them all in and snuggle them forever. 

The dog followed me back and entered my own room as I unlocked the door. I really wanted to let him stay and snuggle-- and if I had a few more beers I probably would have just left my door open entirely for infinite love all night-- nonetheless, I forced myself to say goodbye..

To both the pups and the Elephant Nature Park. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I definitely have plans to come back and spend more time with all of the amazing creatures and individuals!

Three common stereotypes about traveling

1) Traveling solo is lonely:

I too worried about this, but couldn't have been more wrong.

I've met so many people while traveling. I cannot even begin to describe all of the amazing, diverse individuals I've encountered. It's truly inspiring and every day comes with a new encounter.

I absolutely love traveling alone, as I call the shots. And if I want to spend the whole day doing nothing but lying in a hammock, petting a dog, and eating nothing but passion fruit and mango, there is no one there to judge me, or to drag me off to a must-see tourist attraction. 

At the same time, if I do want to wander off and do some exploring and would like some company, it is quite easy to find like-minded people, especially staying in hostels or even at local bars and cafes.

As a matter of fact, because you're alone, you are much easier approachable, so the chances are much higher that you'll meet new people compared to being in a large group.

Minus having my wisdom teeth cut out and being secluded to my room, I've yet to feel lonely on my trip thus far. There are loads of people you'll meet whether it's on various modes of transportation, at your accommodation, or even just venturing around. The possibilities are endless.. and far from lonely!

2) Traveling alone as a girl is dangerous!

Okay, there is an element of truth to this, in that being a girl you are always going to be subjected to unwanted attention and be at a greater risk for rape, robbery, etc.

However, by taking necessary precautions and making smart choices, you will be just as safe as you are back home. As a matter of fact, of all of my travels I've still been robbed more in the States than I have in foreign countries.

If you're in any city, you should of course be aware of your belongings and keep them safe and out of reach. And don't wander alone at night, especially if you've been out drinking. Stick to groups and if you must be alone, take a reliable (meter) taxi and be sure to go with your gut. Most people can usually tell when something doesn't feel right and if they're in a potentially unsafe environment.. I know I've gotten the uneasy feeling quite a few times, and I'm usually spot on. 

So trust yourself, go with your gut, and be aware of your surroundings. You'll be just as safe as you are in any city. 

Don't let fear hold you back from amazing adventures. At the same time, be wise and don't let your love for adventure put your life in danger, or even your most valuable possessions.


3) And three! This is perhaps, the most common one I hear: Travel is too expensive! Only rich people can travel!

If I had a nickel for every time I heard excuses and comments such as, "I don't have the money to travel", how do you do it?", "I could never afford that" I could probably buy a plane ticket. Maybe not, though.. they are pretty pricey ;)

It's true that flights are expensive, traveling can be pricey, and it can all add up. But it's really not so impossibly outrageous. If you do your research, take advantage of resources, and shop around- traveling can be quite reasonable, and even cheap.

Here are some tips on traveling without entering into great debt (or even greater debt in many cases!)

-       *Find cheap flights: By far, the most expensive part of planning a trip is purchasing the plane ticket. But buying an affordable plane ticket is not impossible. If you do your research you and book far enough in advance you can find a cheap flight anywhere. I always go to search engines such as Kayak, Orbitz, or Student Universe first, and book the cheapest flight I find. I've also been told that 45 days in advance is key for the cheapest flight. Not sure if that's true, but worth a try.

* Live like the locals. This one is simple. 70% of the world lives on less than $1 day. If you’re willing to live like a significant number of the population does everyday, then you wont be spending millions of dollars.

* Shop around:

In terms of Europe, it’s very cheap to travel in Europe depending on your type of trip.. but the key is too do your research, look at all your options, and shop around. You can plan to venture everywhere with a global rail pass or just see a few countries with really cheap flights through Ryanair/Easyjet.. plus there are always buses. Yes it’s long.. but if you don’t have money..it's worth it. Plus they can be quite scenic. Just be easy on the wine, as the restrooms may not be so promising..

AND Southeast Asia. It's so much cheaper than Europe! Like really.  A meal out: can be as cheap as $2, accommodation as cheap as $5 a night, and flights with Air Asia can be as cheap as $20. Again, if you do your research, you can make a dollar go a mighty long way.

*Work while abroad: Whether it’s au pairing or Wwoofing. This is an easy way to get free food and accommodation in exchange for teaching English, caretaking, etc. There are opportunities for such things all over the world. You just need to look for them.

* Volunteer while abroad: All of the world is in need of a helping hand. All we need is love right, so find a cause you're passionate about and help out. 

But do beware. Try not to fall into organizations such as Cross Cultural Volunteers or I to I that charge unreasonable amounts for volunteering. Volunteering your time should never be that expensive. Most times this money does not even go to the culture and people in need but is rather going elsewhere and it becomes really hard to tell. If you search hard enough (I recommend looking at local based organizations.. or skipping to page 7 or 17 on your google search) you can find organizations that need your help and don’t want to take advantage of you or your money. But again when it comes to money and volunteering, corruption is a reality that you will most likely encounter in one form or another.

*Couchsurfing: Don’t have enough money for accomodation? (not even cheap hostels)- then find a couch to surf on. This is what I’m doing in Bangkok. Free accommodation and a friendly face who knows the culture and can tell you where to go. I'll take it!

* If you’re going to Asia: stay in a monastery. It saves you money and it is so peaceful. Plus you can take some classes while you're there! I'm staying in one in Nepal for a month while taking meditation courses. I couldn't be more excited.

*Stop buying $4 coffees. This might just be me. But really, all of the little small unnecessary indulgences, really start to add up. There are somethings you can really live without. And if you want to travel the world, you might have to make some caffeine sacrifices. 

*Make friends. With the locals where you go, people you meet on the train, plane, bus. If you have friends from all over the world, it’s much easier to find a reason to travel.. all over the world. Plus you can get free accommodation/food (although this shouldn't be your primary reason for making friends!) This is what I did through most of Europe, visiting friends and staying with them for a while. Also, since they live in the place your are visiting them, they know the ins and outs and can take you to all the best places! 

All in all, It’s really all about desire. If you want it bad enough, you can have it. It just might take some sacrifice. (and some time! I recently met a girl who had been saving the last ten years for a six month trip. She didn't earn a lot of money at all in her job, but had been putting a small amount aside over the years and finally managed to save up) Of course, various circumstances apply, and travel is not for everybody, but I just want to make it known that it's not as financially impossible as it's portrayed to be.

Tigers!

So being the animal lover that I am, and being in Southeast Asia, I of course jumped at the chance of seeing some tigers. (they just don't have them in Africa!)

I went to the Tiger Temple in Bangkok which is actually a Buddhist temple that was turned into a "sanctuary" for wild animals. The monks are the primary caretakers for the tigers and feed and walk them daily.

 I must admit though, there was quite a big difference from what I read about and what I saw. It did not seem like a "sanctuary" to me but rather a huge tourist attraction. When I arrived most of the tigers were chained up and some of them even seem drugged. It appeared to be such a tourist trap as people were literally lined up and walked one by one to take photos with the tigers. I proceeded with the pictures as it was included in my entrance fee, but I was definitely saddened by what I saw.  

Once I arrived in Chiang Mai, I heard about Tiger Kingdom, and a friend  I met told me it was much better. Fortunately, IT WAS. All of tigers were clearly conscious and seemed very playful and aware. They didn't seem drugged at all and they had a lot more space and no chains. Really,  I just felt better upon walking in.

I suppose getting up close and personal with tigers will always be a tourist attraction, as is the case with elephants, I just hope they maintain ethical conditions. 

Tiger Temple in Bangkok

This guy didn't seem so bad

Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai