Svenn

^Oh wow, 48 hours?! With an actual visa in hand? Looks like we may need to start our trip in Amsterdam. It's still correct one must start a trip in the issuing country for the Schengen right?

7by7: I'm American

Which embassy gives the fastest results/offers expedited service? We can start our holiday pretty much anywhere, but I'd prefer Italy or Greece. She has a 10 year US visitor visa, Canada, NZ, and Japan... we're married and she owns her own home and small business- any need to worry about a refusal?

Thanks sezzo, I'll head out in about an hour and let the Forvm know how it goes!

Anyone know of any in the Ubon area? Need a leather bag repaired and figured a cobbler might have the heavy-duty sewing machine necessary for it

I was kidding about the scarf

I'm assuming the Tak Bai (seashore) border crossing is safer than Sungai Golok?

Are there any records of attacks/bombings on the route from Narathiwat airport to the Malay border? I'm trying to get a sense of how dangerous it really is... we don't have the time or money to fly to Kuala Lumpur then another flight to Bharu. Should I (white farang) wear an islamic cap and my gf wear a headscarf or something to avoid being killed? Should we take a taxi or minivan between the airport and border?

I sure hope they cut out all the ghastly vegetation there when they develop it and pave most of the area, or at least cover it with lawns with pinwheels and statuettes... let's not forget a large parking terminal for the buses and food courts. I think they should also take out the bodhi tree that's there and replace with a plastic, more durable one... with portraits of their majesties on top of course.

If one annihilates ego, can one still function positively, or said another way, is one still able to contribute to evolutionary advantage as well as continue to generate positive values?

Strangely I think one still can... one even still experiences emotions and normal thoughts, just from a radically different perspective. I know there is endless dispute about who is or isn't enlightened, but many ancient Zen masters, and Taoist, are recorded as crying, getting angry, etc... if you believe DT Suzuki had an awakening, he is recorded as crying at the death of his wife, but said 'the tears had no roots,' and when asked by a student what living by Zen was like, he said 'like everyday life, just 6 inches off the ground.'

I have endlessly thought what psychologically could be going on when a human brain attains Enlightenment, but I've never come upon a satisfactory answer. It seems a cruel result of natural selection that we would be afforded an ego and all the suffering it entails, when it is ultimately superfluous.

I've read that the final step to enlightenment, the total abandonment of ones ego, is akin to jumping off a precipice.

It probably constitutes the annihilation of the one you know yourself to be, ego.

If there's any doubt that ego is a construct or delusion, then the fear would be extreme.

I 100% agree, and I wish some of the 'new age' Buddhists back in the West would realize how profoundly serious the practice actually is! Somewhere I read there was one young monk at a temple who arduously practiced for a year or so, and then ultimately decided to take his own life by jumping off a nearby cliff... the Master at the temple said he was sure that as soon as his feet left the ground, he attained satori.

It seems to me that the main point of zen is to to get rid of the ego - the self-observing component of our brains which millions of years of natural selection developed for us, and presumably gave us some evolutionary advantage. So, after attaining satori, the zen master would be something like an intelligent child, without stress and with no fear of death.

This is singularly the most thought-provoking post I've ever seen on thaivisa, not least of which because I have had the exact same thoughts.

Despite all the trouble it causes me, I think I'd prefer to keep my ego.

How rare it is to see people, especially Buddhists, to admit this. Most Buddhists seem to think that letting go of the ego is a calm, happy task to be performed in quietude. Various Zen Masters however have described it as the most difficult, terrible, and trauma-inducing ordeals man is capable of. It is akin to a sort of death, and I too honestly admit I'm not ready to do it either

"Men are afraid to forget their minds, fearing to fall through the Void with nothing to stay their fall...."

-Huang Po, 800AD

Just remember as you are wheeling and dealing that if you stick with the same airline or alliance group -- such as United and Star Alliance -- that you can get a FREE Round trip (Return) ticket after about 3 or so RT fares ... my trip this spring BKK > USA/Florida cost me $US 43 (taxes) ...

Is it really worth it though? By sticking to the same airline you are forced to pay higher prices for those 3 or 4 RT fares that you could have gotten for cheaper had you used other airlines. By the time 3 RT flights have been bought, the excess you paid for them could total up to that 4th free flight. I dunno, I could be wrong.

I just bough m'lady a $1030 flight RT from bkk to seattle for a couple weeks from now, on Delta with actually only one quick layover. I don't think they get much cheaper than that anymore... the days of $800 RT to bkk are gone I think. I had to pay like $1300 last summer.

Edit: btw, you guys are always talking about promos... I haven't ONCE found a promo on ANY website or anything, so I don't get it... I always just end up using kayak.

greetings troy,

in my personal opinion, which of course you may dismiss, the popular conception of zen being taught through various disciplines like martial arts, farming, or engine care is tenuous at best; it's more of a concept that arose in the 1960's, and among 18th century Japanese aristocrats, rather than a truly Zen practice. The vast majority of Zen literature focuses on inner activity within one's own mind, often without even a teacher (or a teacher who gives very little instruction ).

While I believe that the Zen and Theravada 'awakenings' are one and the same, samyak-sambodhi, others here disagree, and might laugh at the idea of a Thai farmer having a zen awakening. I think it possible, but very unlikely, much less so the probability of you ever even finding such an individual. I applaud your idealism, but you might be better meditating where you live currently, which I know seems depressing, and reading up on ancient, authentic Zen texts rather than modern books or rather than trying to find a teacher in this modern world of frauds.

I have my own way of approaching it, which you may consider or ignore as you please, which basically is that one needs to let go of one's fundamental notions of self and ownership of thoughts, rather than mechanically try to continue mindfulness all the time. You can't always be mindful, it's just not psychologically possible for a human brain designed evolutionarily to wander in the African savanna. What you can do however is constantly detach yourself from viewing the straying-and-focusing of your mind as the product of your 'self.' The mind is going to do what it wants to do, just let it go... if you find that all of a sudden you're watching TV and slouching on the couch with a beer, don't suddenly think 'oh, I have lost mindfulness', just observe what happened, without necessarily 'you' being the one doing the observing, and try to re-focus. The part of the brain that focuses on mindfulness, I believe, is much more subconscious than most people realize... you could be flaming drunk and in a bar fight and still have that aloft observer, way in the back of your mind, observing dispassionately what your body and brain is doing.

Anyway, in my personal opinion the key above all is to just remain resolute, will is more important than what you're specifically doing with your mind... I'm reminded of a Zen quote:

"Throughout the twelve periods of the day, be like a cat trying to catch a rat, or like a hen holding her chicks under the wings; be ever on the alert, and do not let any intermission take place. While you have not yet attained a penetrating insight, be like a rat gnawing at the coffin; do not let yourself be sidetracked. If you keep on like this, the time will certainly be yours when you will be awakened." -Mozan

I just got my JD a year ago and I know tons of other law and med students who have absolutely no intellectual capacity at all, yet they're good at studying and going through the motions. In other words, there's tons of people who have degrees and are hard-working but aren't really intelligent or creative. Hell, I remember the top student in our law school giving a talk and she seemed like a valley girl straight from 'clueless'... she didn't even know what "a Nova Scotia is" ... . In terms of jobs, you have to remember how many positions out there don't require degrees... if you don't have one, you need to rely on your networking skills and not try to compete with the mainstream workforce that finds jobs through listings. Especially in Asia, where most people are too conservative to start their own businesses, if you have the gall to be an entrepreneur you could probably do very well and far surpass your potential in the conventional fields.

I'm 25 and I have a small house in Isaan (with the gf of course), been in and out of thailand since I was 21... I believe I'm probably one of the youngest white farang guys to do the Isaan thing. I can't stay there or in Bangkok for any protracted period of time just because it's so boring, but I still plan to visit occasionally while I begin my professional career here in the US.

I just bought an Ipod Nano for m'lady in Thailand, am sending it in the mail to her tomorrow for x-mas and would really appreciate if anyone knows of a website online that would have ipod nano instructions in Thai i could print out for her (obviously the one I bought from walmart here is all in english, but i did change the nano itself into thai format).

Related, her laptop is old, and our house in Ubon has slowish internet.... do you think she'll be able to find an internet cafe in Ubon where someone could download songs/videos for her?

thanks

Most Mexicans entering the US are doing it illegally, end of story. Yes, there are provisions for some to enter and work legally.

There are probably more illegals deported yearly, than the ones who enter on the programs that you mentioned.

LOL... "probably" more illegals deported?? how about millions upon millions more? Most Americans, especially those not in western or southern states, have no idea how vast the illegal immigration disaster is. I'm from a small town in the West where it's estimated 90% of the Hispanic population is illegal... all the local plants and businesses hire 'em, and the bosses I'm friends with talk about it like it's no big deal at all. No government official has ever came into their businesses and asked them if their workers were illegal or not, even though it's blatantly obvious. How about the local courthouse where I work- the judge routinely gets mexican defendants in who immediately get deported, only to show up back again the next week!! and it happens over and over. No one gives a dam_n... well, except for some politicians in New Hampshire or whatever that have no idea what's going on.

In other words OP, if you get a tourist visa for your family members, hell yes they can work and there is only a miniscule chance you'll have any problems with it. Anyone who tells you it's dangerous or risky, that an INS agent is actually gonna stake you out and spy on you, is nuts.

If I may offer a slightly Buddhist perspective: by clinging to life so dearly, as manifested in desperately avoiding death and reacting in horror when it happens prematurely, we in a way stifle life. The reason we remember being so lighthearted and free as very young children is because the artificial concept of death had not been fabricated in our minds yet, and life was not structured in the continuum of time with a definitive ending-point at death. While suicide is deeply regrettable, we must not view it as profound tragedy, lest we reinforce the mindset which made it happen in the first place.

Poor girl, that's just awful. Someone really needs to try to educate Thai women to take it down a notch... i realize it's a generalization, but they're some of the most fiery-hearted, vengeful people I've met and the culture seems to aggrandize the 'crazy girl' mentality. It's not romantic, or charmingly tragic, period. Of course who knows what motivated this girl to do what she did, and of course it happens all over the world, but I can't help but blame society a little bit.

Xangsamhua, the "accumulation of immense wealth, striving for worldly success, and seeking pleasure through the senses" are three ancient Hindu principles called 'artha' and 'kama', they being the two preliminary goals of life (purushartha) before one is ready to seek dharma and moksha.

It is no coincidence that the Buddha would have been aware of them, I have long said that Buddha's teachings are merely a chapter in the larger book of the Vedic traditions of north India, rather than a separate doctrine by itself. My guess is that the story of the Buddha, i.e. being born a prince then becoming a monk, was supposed to be a reflection of the truth of the purushartha (one needs to feel the emptiness of wealth and pleasure before one can be truly prepared to forsake it for wisdom).

In this day and age, I fully agree... it is healthiest for a young man or woman to satisfy their natural curiosities about life through the sensual and material pleasures, especially since there are so many opportunities in the modern world. I would be concerned if a young person went straight into monkhood without having experienced it. Now if you're 70 years old and still lusting after a new ferrari, I might suggest you get on the wisdom wagon

and as far as history and curiousity-- thais seem to show no curiousity whatsover about roots/family history/trees etc... itsjust not a cultural thing like with us.

Which is in some sense a positive thing... often times ethnic pride can lead to much darker consequences, if not just irritating superiority/inferiority complexes or fabricated 'identities' that just alienates groups from their fellow countrymen. I find the lack of European-style/biological racism in Thailand refreshing (though granted, they are severly prejudiced against economic status), and so I don't think it does any good to start telling a happy-go-lucky Isaan kid that all of a sudden he/she is descendant from strange Lao or Khmer people differentiated from the 'true' Thai or whatever. Once people get in their minds a certain identity they have, they tend to get carried away and frame their whole life around it. Somehow this Gui culture needs to be preserved without all the messiness we see in the West.

Just a plug for the reverse route. Ubon Ratchatani is a relatively undiscovered mid-sized town (120,000 and growing prosperously) - fascinating to walk around and a few good hotels and restaurants. Nothing like Phuket of course, but maybe that's an appeal for a short break. There's a couple of friendly local expat bars and the odd karaoke/soapy. Better still you can also access southern Laos and Vietnam extremely easily.

Bit of an exaggeration wouldn't you say SantiSuk? you sound a bit like the tourism authority ! I've been visiting Thailand for a fairly long time and have a home in Ubon, but I think from the perspective of a tourist who's been in Thailand even just a week, there's probably only 1 or 2 sites in Ubon that would stand out as unique (Wat Thung Si Muang and the candles), the rest of the city is profoundly monotonous and just a generic, bland Thai city. You're right Pha Taem and Champassak are visit-worthy, but only mildly, and perhaps not at all if one has been to Siem Reap. Not trying to drag good ol' Ubon down, just don't want her to be over-sold. I see too many tourists who show up in Ubon and just wander around the streets looking at 15 year old concrete warehouses, wondering why they came here!!!

3) When I asked about the village change, a normal response was: 'don't think about it'

It could be the woman/girls connected to those houses have multiple farang supporters each, and the village doesn't want you to think you're just another tool like the others. I've seen it myself and it's repulsive (thai woman frantically moving the thai husband and their kids out of the house when the farang comes to visit... absolutely despicable, though perhaps the farang kinda deserves it if he's that oblivious). It's not as bad as China, but in Thailand it seems like money is sought after no matter what the cost, no matter how low they have to stoop... no limits or boundaries whatsoever.

Debt, debt and more debt is my guess.

Is there any kind of personal finance education in the public school curriculum? Talking to family and neighbors from a small village, I've been shocked at what kind of financial agreements people are willing to enter into and what a mess personal finances are. I would think some better personal financial education would be a good way to help the rural areas develop.

Same explanation behind all the shiny new cars and truck in Isaan as well... there's just as many new houses in rural Laos as well. The culture in Isaan is very much focused on building new structures and getting rid of the old, there's almost no respect for older structures at all, even wats. Buildings aren't built to last. It's one of the most depressing parts of Thailand in my opinion, all the monotonous rotting moldy concrete buildings that make up the majority of every single town. I've always said that if just one thai city made an effort to preserve or build in the traditional wooden fashion they would have throngs of tourists in no time... people want to see old Siam (or Lanxang ), not endless rows of faux-columned concrete blocks covered in giant signs.

tried Los Cabos- stale cold tortilla chips served with ok guacamole... combo platter I got later had a very good enchilada and tamale- filling and sufficient oily cheesiness like tex-mex back home.. however the hardshell taco had dry shredded chicken and again a stale shell. All in all, I might go back just for their baked goods, but it wasn't worth the 1000 baht + price for two.

Will have to try La Monita, it may well be the best.

The problem I think is the people making the food obviously don't have any idea what it's supposed to taste like, and probably can't understand why we like it (I've found lots of Thai to be very finicky eaters, won't try anything new etc)... so they just concoct it on the fly and forget little but important details like heating the tortillas. I also think the owners make the futile attempt at "authentic" Mexican food, which they shouldn't because the proper ingredients just aren't here- a fresh Baja taco with fresh central valley tomatoes, san diego avocados, and salinas lettuce can taste divine without any seasoning just on their own merits, but if you try to mimic it in Thailand with moldy Isaan vegetables it's just not gonna work... the owners of these places need to stick to baked goods with good cheese.

So basically if I just boil the coconut milk for a while at some point, the oil will separate from it? I've done that many times before and never got it to separate out clearly like that