maxjay

Wat Paa Baan Thaat isn't accepting foreign monks or lay residents these days, nor do they teach meditation to foreigners.

Before I replied to your post, I wanted to be sure. The following is a partial reply from an e-mail I recieved from a friend who lives in the area and has gone on numerous retreats to Wat Paa Baan That:

I just got a message from my German monk friend at Wat Pa Ban Tad .

They still do ,as in the past welcome serious practitioners for meditation retreats .

Perhaps the key word here is: serious?

This is directed more to people in the States who telephone Thailand.

What is the cost per minute of a international call to Thailand using:

a. Calling Card?

b. International plan with a telephone carrier ie: AT&T, Verizon, local carriers, etc.?

c. Straight dial up?

Before I moved here I had a plan with my local carrier, it was about $4.00 per month service fee and $.50 per minute. Still have same deals?

I am Not interested in Skype or any other internet telephoning.

Prices on everything look very reasonable.

The "full English" is 30 baht cheaper than the prices here in Udon at The Irish Clock or Mojo's, Udon's most popular breakfast places.

In fact, I think it would be a great idea to bring your restaurant concept up here to Udon. You guys down there in Bangkok are getting too spoiled.

Udon is growing, but not in the culinary aspects.

This is a new entertainment complex opening July 1: www.udondayandnight.com

We stayed at a hotel, the Korat Princess, part of the Princess Chain. Sorry I don't have any contact details. Very nice hotel w/pool. Within your price range.

You will find some hotels, not all, listed here:

http://www.northeast-hotel.com/en/directory1.php

I haven't stayed here, however it looks like a nice place: http://www.v-onehotelkorat.com

If you decide to go with car & driver, this company only contracts with safe, responsible drivers with newer vehicles:

Mr. T, 038-720-318 or 081-258-7716. Mr. T, has a good driver, Samon, who has a very nice mini-van w/reclinable seats.

They will provide airport pickup.

Might also look here: http://www.tourismthailand.org/

Foodland is the best deal . . villamarket are over pricely...

I just returned from Pattaya. I was impressed with Villa.

From what I remember of prices from Foodland, Friendship, and Tops, the prices at Villa were comparable and sometimes less, for speciality items. For example, Danita's & El Charro burrito size flour tortillas were 68 baht at Villa, they are 78 baht at Foodland. Maybe for staple items, the prices are higher, to be honest, I didn't check. I was only after speciality items. I found everything I wanted.

I thought it was a very well laid out store. I think they have overhead signs now?

I asked a staff where a certain item was and they took me right to it.

I sure wish we had something comparable in Udon. For a foodie like me, you guys don't know how lucky you are.

I thought this was an interesting read:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/13/opinion/edbrooks.php

------------------------------------------------------

Neural Buddhists

By David Brooks The New York Times

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

In 1996, Tom Wolfe wrote a brilliant essay called "Sorry, but Your Soul

Just Died," in which he captured the militant materialism of some

modern scientists.

To these self-confident researchers, the idea that the spirit might

exist apart from the body is just ridiculous. Instead, everything arises

from atoms. Genes shape temperament. Brain chemicals shape behavior.

Assemblies of neurons create consciousness. Free will is an illusion.

Human beings are "hard-wired" to do this or that. Religion is an accident.

In this materialist view, people perceive God's existence because their

brains have evolved to confabulate belief systems. You put a magnetic

helmet around their heads and they will begin to think they are having

a spiritual epiphany. If they suffer from temporal lobe epilepsy, they

will show signs of hyperreligiosity, an overexcitement of the brain

tissue that leads sufferers to believe they are conversing with God.

Wolfe understood the central assertion contained in this kind of

thinking: Everything is material and "the soul is dead." He anticipated the

way the genetic and neuroscience revolutions would affect public debate.

They would kick off another fundamental argument over whether God

exists.

Lo and behold, over the past decade, a new group of assertive atheists

has done battle with defenders of faith. The two sides have argued

about whether it is reasonable to conceive of a soul that survives the

death of the body and about whether understanding the brain explains away

or merely adds to our appreciation of the entity that created it.

The atheism debate is a textbook example of how a scientific revolution

can change public culture. Just as "The Origin of Species" reshaped

social thinking, just as Einstein's theory of relativity affected art, so

the revolution in neuroscience is having an effect on how people see

the world.

Yet my guess is that the atheism debate is going to be a sideshow. The

cognitive revolution is not going to end up undermining faith in God,

it's going end up challenging faith in the Bible.

Over the past several years, the momentum has shifted away from

hard-core materialism. The brain seems less like a cold machine. It does not

operate like a computer. Instead, meaning, belief and consciousness seem

to emerge mysteriously from idiosyncratic networks of neural firings.

Those squishy things called emotions play a gigantic role in all forms

of thinking. Love is vital to brain development.

Researchers now spend a lot of time trying to understand universal

moral intuitions. Genes are not merely selfish, it appears. Instead, people

seem to have deep instincts for fairness, empathy and attachment.

Scientists have more respect for elevated spiritual states. Andrew

Newberg of the University of Pennsylvania has shown that transcendent

experiences can actually be identified and measured in the brain (people

experience a decrease in activity in the parietal lobe, which orients us

in space). The mind seems to have the ability to transcend itself and

merge with a larger presence that feels more real.

This new wave of research will not seep into the public realm in the

form of militant atheism. Instead it will lead to what you might call

neural Buddhism.

If you survey the literature (and I'd recommend books by Newberg,

Daniel J. Siegel, Michael S. Gazzaniga, Jonathan Haidt, Antonio Damasio and

Marc D. Hauser if you want to get up to speed), you can see that

certain beliefs will spread into the wider discussion.

First, the self is not a fixed entity but a dynamic process of

relationships. Second, underneath the patina of different religions, people

around the world have common moral intuitions. Third, people are equipped

to experience the sacred, to have moments of elevated experience when

they transcend boundaries and overflow with love. Fourth, God can best

be conceived as the nature one experiences at those moments, the

unknowable total of all there is.

In their arguments with Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, the

faithful have been defending the existence of God. That was the easy

debate. The real challenge is going to come from people who feel the

existence of the sacred, but who think that particular religions are just

cultural artifacts built on top of universal human traits. It's going to

come from scientists whose beliefs overlap a bit with Buddhism.

In unexpected ways, science and mysticism are joining hands and

reinforcing each other. That's bound to lead to new movements that emphasize

self-transcendence but put little stock in divine law or revelation.

Orthodox believers are going to have to defend particular doctrines and

particular biblical teachings. They're going to have to defend the idea

of a personal God, and explain why specific theologies are true guides

for behavior day to day.

I'm not qualified to take sides, believe me. I'm just trying to

anticipate which way the debate is headed. We're in the middle of a scientific

revolution. It's going to have big cultural effects.

Thanks for all the replies.

I didn't encounter any problems. Luckily, all the buses I caught, had a fairly full load.

It's been 2 1/2 years since I lived in Jomtien and 4 years since I rode the baht bus.

What are the current prices? For just getting on, going in the direction they are going, and getting off when one needs to transfer or at their location.

When I lived in Jomtien/Pattaya, the cost, say from Soi 8 Beach Rd. to So. Pattaya Rd. was 5 baht. Within Jomtien, 5 baht. South Pattaya Rd. to Jomtien was 10 baht. That was for just getting on and going in the direction they were going.

Hiring one out for a special location, was always more. South Pattaya to Jomtien at night was usually between 60-80 baht.

Still the same?

Thanks.

Looks good. Where did you purchase?

I used Mailboxes etc. for years, never had a problem.

http://www.mbe.com/

From looking at their website, it now looks as if they are global.

I have seen frozen, unbaked, pizza crusts at Makro. But, they looked like the thin, crispy type.

IMO, a good crust is the secret to a good pizza, have a look here for some recipes:

http://chef2chef.net/recipes/search_result...h&sa=Search

The rest is easy: sauce, toppings and cheese!

Remember, like everything in life. Practice makes perfect. Good luck!

I think some of these guys get full of themselves and let the power/position go to their heads.

Especially if no one is looking over their shoulder to keep them in check.

Main thing is you got your visa. It was probably easier than standing & waiting in the heat & sun at the Bridge, IMO.

FYI, I always try and do these "official" things as early as possible in the morning.

This place might be more appropriate: http://www.jancondotel.com/en/index-en.html

Probably, the best idea, would be to come to Udon and check out the various apartment buildings.

There is a lot of them.

Have a look here: www.donsfoods.com

Here is a partial list of some of their products:

CA001 Parmesan Half Wheel (Aust)

67 DCA002 Fine Powder Parmesan (Aust)

DCM003 Mozzarella Shredded

69 DCM004 Mozzarella Block

70 DCA005 Sharp Cheddar (Australian)

71 DCA006 Shredded Cheddar (Australian)

72 DCA007 Sliced Cheddar (Australian)

73 DCM008 Sour Cream (3 kg Containers)

DCM009 Cream Cheese 2 kg

75 DCH010 Edam Cheese (Holland)

76 DCH011 Gouda Cheese (Holland)

77 Don's del Casaro Italian Cheese

78 ITC001 Ricotta 800 gr 270

79 ITC002 Scamorza Classico

80 ITC003 Scamorza Smoked

81 ITC004 Bocconcini 500gr

82 ITC005 Ciliegine 500gr

83 ITC006 Mozzarella-white

ITC007 Grana Padano (Parmesan-Italy)

85 Don's Home Made Soft Cheese

86 ***All Fat Free - Made with Skim Milk

87 DC001 Feta Cheese 1 kg 311

88 DC002 Yogurt

I really liked the city of Dalat. Very quaint & friendly.

I've used this site as a reference site only, they give some good itineraries:

http://www.vietnamstay.com/

Good, medium range hotel in Hanoi:

http://hanoiprincehotel.com/index.php

pushing is just that, getting free advertising for your products, forums are for sharing info, not selling products.

Lack of IQ allert!!

Excuse me ..... somehow you seem not to understand .. what is free if I pay to be a sponsor ..

do you think sponsors pay just for you to have a free forum????

These forum's exist only because of sponsors, they cost money to run ....

I've aways thought one of the benefits of being a sponsor is being able to promote one's products or services.

In fact, Udon's forum, has a special section for just that: "Latest News From Our Sponsors".

I for one, appreciate finding out whats going on, especially if it relates to one of my favorite topics: food.

You might try:

Wat Pah Ban Kor

Kuea Nam, Ban Phu, Udon Thani, 41160

tel: 042-250730

Also:

Wat Paa Baan Taat Forest Monastery

Location: Tambon Baan Taat, approximately 16 km from Udon Thani city centre

Wat Paa Baan Taat Forest Monastery is set in tranquil natural surroundings. Phra Acharn Maha Bua Kansampanno, a renowned teacher of Vipassana Buddhist insight meditation and highly revered by Buddhist followers.

http://www.tatnews.org/emagazine/2970.asp

I'm not sure if this question relates to Buddhism or Thai tradition.

Why are funerals in Thailand always scheduled for the afternoons with the cremation at 3pm?

Also Chiang Mai is home to some reputable and well known massage schools. That is where I would start my search for a good therapist.

Remember, not all therapists have been properly trained. And, not all therapists techniques are the same, try a few different ones, one you feel comfortable with.

Hi

Someone told me about a special type of traditional thai massage. It is for increasing mens power! They push around the top of the legs, stomach and other areas. I belive this is for blood flow etc. It makes you a very good lover apparently.

I am not talking about naughty massage.

Please if anyone can tell me the name of this massage - so I can ask for it.

Also any suggestions of a good place to get this in chiang mai

http://www.massagetherapy.com/learnmore/benefits.php

"

The Benefits Of Massage

What exactly are the benefits of receiving massage or bodywork treatments? Useful for all of the conditions listed below and more, massage can:

• Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
  
• Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
  
• Ease medication dependence.
  
• Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body’s natural defense system.
  
• Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
  
• Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
  
• Improve the condition of the body’s largest organ—the skin.
  
• Increase joint flexibility.
  
• Lessen depression and anxiety.
  
• Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
  
• Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
  
• Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
  
• Reduce spasms and cramping.
  
• Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
  
• Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body’s natural painkiller.
  
• Relieve migraine pain.
  

A Powerful Ally

There’s no denying the power of bodywork. Regardless of the adjectives we assign to it (pampering, rejuvenating, therapeutic) or the reasons we seek it out (a luxurious treat, stress relief, pain management), massage therapy can be a powerful ally in your healthcare regimen.

Experts estimate that upwards of ninety percent of disease is stress related. And perhaps nothing ages us faster, internally and externally, than high stress. While eliminating anxiety and pressure altogether in this fast-paced world may be idealistic, massage can, without a doubt, help manage stress. This translates into:

• Decreased anxiety.
  
• Enhanced sleep quality.
  
• Greater energy.
  
• Improved concentration.
  
• Increased circulation.
  
• Reduced fatigue.
  

Furthermore, clients often report a sense of perspective and clarity after receiving a massage. The emotional balance bodywork provides can often be just as vital and valuable as the more tangible physical benefits.

Profound Effects

In response to massage, specific physiological and chemical changes cascade throughout the body, with profound effects. Research shows that with massage:

• Arthritis sufferers note fewer aches and less stiffness and pain.
  
• Asthmatic children show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow.
  
• Burn injury patients report reduced pain, itching, and anxiety.
  
• High blood pressure patients demonstrate lower diastolic blood pressure, anxiety, and stress hormones.
  
• Premenstrual syndrome sufferers have decreased water retention and cramping.
  
• Preterm infants have improved weight gain.
  

Research continues to show the enormous benefits of touch—which range from treating chronic diseases, neurological disorders, and injuries, to alleviating the tensions of modern lifestyles. Consequently, the medical community is actively embracing bodywork, and massage is becoming an integral part of hospice care and neonatal intensive care units. Many hospitals are also incorporating on-site massage practitioners and even spas to treat postsurgery or pain patients as part of the recovery process.

Increase the Benefits with Frequent Visits

Getting a massage can do you a world of good. And getting massage frequently can do even more. This is the beauty of bodywork. Taking part in this form of regularly scheduled self-care can play a huge part in how healthy you’ll be and how youthful you’ll remain with each passing year. Budgeting time and money for bodywork at consistent intervals is truly an investment in your health. And remember: just because massage feels like a pampering treat doesn’t mean it is any less therapeutic. Consider massage appointments a necessary piece of your health and wellness plan, and work with your practitioner to establish a treatment schedule that best meets your needs.

Review the clinical research studies examining the benefits of massage.

Review massage information from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health."

I think receiving regular massage (once a week) will improve your health and well-being. Therefore, in theory, one should experience "increased mens power".

What have you got to lose? A "therapeutic" Thai massage usually runs about 300 baht per 2 hour session. Try it for a few months, see what happens. Only you can judge, how you are feeling.

Have a look here:

http://www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/viewforum.php?f=17

I think the bagels sold at Villa Supermarkets are about the closest in taste and texture to bagels made in the west.

Can any members tell me if smoked salmon is available in Udon Thani, if so where I can buy some.

And price etc...

Thanks,

Regards.

Try Dieter's Rauch Kate restaurant on Adunyadet Rd. Dieter occasionally has it, if they are out of it, talk to Dieter about when he is getting more. 081-263-9011.

Also very good breads and deli items.

Technocracy, I plan on flying from Vientiane to Hanoi and back to Vientiane.

A travel agent in Vientiane gave me this advice: "If you make return-flight to Vientiane you have to ask double-visa on first arrival." Is this correct? Is the price less expensive than two single entry visas? Is there a "official" name for this "double-visa"? I will only be transiting through Vientiane.

Thanks in advance.

I saw today Laos has a Transit Visa: http://www.bkklaoembassy.com/consular%20se...information.htm

"* Maximum five days for stay (in Vientiane only).

* Proof of an entry visa and air ticket to the third country."

Which would defer the cost, and more importantly, for me anyway, the hassle of flying from Udon into Bangkok and connecting to say an international destination like Vietnam, Cambodia, or China.

I'm not sure of what other direct international routes go out of Vientiane?

I think the best thing will be to talk to the people at the Lao Consulate in Khon Kaen.

Also this: "All types of visas are issued for one entry and must be used within two months of issue date."

I couldn't find anything on the multiple entry, except them saying that Laos has one.

Thanks for all the info!

When I am in Vientiane, I will go by the Riverine, check it out and get their contact details for next time.

Another question. What would be a fair price for a car & driver in Vientiane, say for, 4-6 hours?

Any recommendations?