In The Presence Of God – 5th December 2023

Sat here staring at the walls
Tracing back this year of ruin
The picture hung now calls
To settle any trouble brewing
Transcendence roams these halls
Embracing the silence here
It’s the holy land that recalls
The artist’s vision clear

Walking through the lives
And visions of those long gone
A tiny thought survives
Where this moment must belong
When this awe arrives
Angels will serenade the air
Unfolding before the eyes
Of those chosen to be there

inspired by this post at Spinning Visions


Today I’m feeling:

Great. Got up as usual and did some arm exercises, went for coffees and then headed off to meet Bruno and walk up the LiKhai Valley. After a good walk up there and a super refreshing swim in the waterfall, I felt even better. A delicious affogato at Utopia after some veggie noodles and I relaxed into a fabulous afternoon nap before preparing for guests in the evening as Amy prepared Korean food for her mum, Dad, Auntie, Nong Aun and her friend and I talked a little with everyone. A wonderful day.

Today I’m grateful for:

The lady who made vegetarian noodle soup for my lunch. To be honest it was pretty bland and tasteless but somehow it felt filling and refreshing. The lady was in the shop by herself and there weren’t many customers (probably due to the holiday) but I’m glad she was there.

The best thing about today was:

Definitely jumping in the water in the stream running down the valley. The bottom of the stream wasn’t visible and I slipped down into the water, completely submerged before breast stroking across to where the water was pouring over the rocks from above. The weather today was perfect and the water was a good (cold) temperature to refresh and revive.

Something I learned today?

After NASA banned any cooperation with China in connection with space, they are now asking for samples of moon rock that China recently brought back from there.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

As we were coming out of the valley a foreign couple that we’d seen ride by earlier stopped and asked about going to Mae Salong, so I gave them the rough directions and some advice on how long it would take and where else to go.

I loaned Amy’s dad some Kabuki comic books that I have though I doubt if he can understand them fully. He borrowed some books from me a couple of years ago and still hasn’t given them back. I reminded him again as he was taking these!

If I could relive any day from my past, which day would I choose?

This ties in with the question on Sunday about my favourite parts of the city and the walk I like in Sydney. I would relive the day that TLJ and I went exploring down there when we snuck out of the office for a long lunch. I was desperately excited with new love at that time.

I took this picture because this was the swimming hole I enjoyed getting wet in today.

No Chef – 28th November 2023

I know I know nothing
You tell me, how much cheese?
I’m no chef, I’m just eating
Transfer the knowledge, please!

A poem for this Existential Comic


Today I’m feeling:

A little tense as there is a lot of running around today. First to the city to walk Leo, then Mae Sai immigration where we have just home from. Right now I’m ready to scoff some lunch before dashing back to school for my afternoon classes.

Today I’m grateful for:

Officer Oh at Mae Sai immigration. This was my first visit there and all the staff seemed far more friendly than in Chiang Rai. It’s a bit of a long way to go each time but hopefully the experience will be better.

The best thing about today was:

Getting my visa application in and hopefully having that finalised within the next three weeks.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Being out of my class this morning was a little difficult as I tried to monitor everything from the work they were sending me in their messages.

About ten students didn’t submit anything and later in the day I deducted points in the system.

It was then found that I had gotten two students mixed up and needed to add their points back but then finding that I can only deduct points and not add them! I want to get that fixed because I want to reward students too.

Something I learned today?

More than 87% of Palestinian deaths caused by Israel in the last 51 days are civilian. The highest ratio of civilian to combatant deaths in any war ever and by a long way.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

Last night I made the choice to get up early and go with Amy to walk Leo but when we arrived this morning we found that her dad had already taken him. Everyone has been telling him to take it easy and he only finished his second round of chemo yesterday but he is obviously frustrated at not being able to do all the things he wants to do. As the brief thought went through my mind of wasted time and wasted petrol, I pushed it aside and prepared for the next step of driving us to Mae Sai.

I messaged Manow hoping that she recovers from her cold soon.

I apologised to Pin and Gam as I accidentally deducted points from them in the SchoolBright system. They were both gracious in return.

As a few of my final class wanted to go off early to sports practice I made a deal with them to help them get through the work quicker.

After going to Immigration in Mae Sai Amy wanted to go to the markets. I didn’t really want to buy anything myself but happily went along with her as it felt like we had enough time. We bought some roasted chestnuts and noodles for her mum and dad and I was tasked with delivering them before getting back to school. It was a bit of a rush but I got it done.

What emotions do I feel most often?

I’ve become much more emotionally stable over the last couple of years and the emotion I notice more often these days is joy. There are times when I just have a feeling of inner peace and happiness.

Other emotions such as stress, tension and anxiety seem to occur often enough but register less. Depression is almost gone completely.

I took this picture last night because I wanted to capture what we had setup for Loy Kratong in the driveway. No new pictures today.

Castrated – 11th July 2022

No time for making babies
Taking care of all their needs
Better to have a dog or cat
And stop it spreading its seeds
Need a friend, not a kid
Even if they are naughty
You can get one when you want
Even if you are forty
But don’t let those suckers breed
There’s enough already
The world doesn’t need more
Just enough to remain steady


If you treat an individual as he is, he will stay as he is, but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought to be and could be.

Goethe

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to Amy’s mum and dad (again!). They will come and feed our cats whilst we are in Bangkok for three days.

Smug – 15th May 2022

Shake yourself out of smug satisfaction
Are you perfectly formed? Happy and disgraced
Apply the training beyond your aspiration
The destination always remains misplaced


True action, food and radiant action…grows out of the suffering which you have not yet learned to suffer.

Hermann Hesse

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for the tree-cutting tool Amy’s dad brought yesterday. making it easier to hack away some branches that needed doing.

N.C.O – 10th May 2022

Those secret deep-state meditations
Held complicit by dollar motivations
Data collection and manipulations
For narrative control operations


What people want, above all else, is not to be happy; they want to devote themselves to something, to give themselves away.

Tim Kreider from We Learn Nothing

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for the mango sauce Amy’s dad made. Even though it’s supposed to be jam, it goes well with yoghurt.