Tag: Doi Tung

Looking At Stuff – 3rd January 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I didn’t see it until I took a look
There was no answer within this book
A revolution waiting with a solution
Let’s write it down so there’s no confusion!

Inspired by Existential Comics #572

Today I’m feeling:

A little tired and hungry but my mood is ok. Last night I threw up, perhaps from too much soda or maybe a little food poisoning, I’m not sure. I felt better as soon as I got it out, though I was a little drained.

I woke up during the night too. I guess that third coffee was really telling me not to be attempted again. My mind was racing between grading students and wishing that I could have grown up in San Diego so that I could have seen Trumans Water playing more often. Weird.

My lack of digested food saw me wake up to be under 80kg this morning for the first time in a while. My energy levels are dictating that I should eat more, though. I’m only half looking forward to early morning exercise again next week.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Nut bringing me breadsticks this morning just as my stomach was starting to feel bad again and we were due to go out. Munching on them helped a little bit, along with a bit of a walk and some cool mountain air.

The best thing about today was:

Walking around up at Doi Tung markets was nice despite my dodgy tummy, meaning I couldn’t enjoy much of the food and drink there.

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

As we went in Nut and Bruno’s car, I was relinquished of driving duties but also at first I was feeling queasy in the back and then later, in the front, I had to endure Bruno’s speed racing and complaining about slow traffic. I guess my dodgy guts helped take my mind off that a little.

Amy told me that we will never go on holiday with them anywhere, as Bruno is always so hyped up and on the move. It makes it difficult to just relax and enjoy the moment. He operates on a different level than most of us.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I swapped the mattresses in our bedrooms for Amy as she seems to sleep better on this one. Damn, though, our original mattresses are heavy and it took a lot out of me to move them.

Up until then, I wasn’t feeling too bad but then my body was looking to replace the used-up energy and found nothing there.

I took this picture at Doi Tung and sent it to Baipad, who is half Lahu. All the hill tribes are represented here, but it feels a little contrived.

To The Wolves – 9th December 2022

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

The wolves are gathering
Circling their prey
Armed with razor claws
Wet teeth on display
Surrounded by enemies
Fallen down ill
Fears turned to acceptance
Of the coming kill
Hot breath drinks blood
Flesh torn and ripped
Life flows away
Once so tightly gripped
Now the hunger sated
Left in the soft snow
The body reconciles
The way we all go

The future of the human race will likely depend on our ability to transcend this tribalism and to see our fate as interconnected with everyone else’s.

Robert Greene

Today I’m feeling:
Happy and relaxed
Today I’m grateful for:
The confusion caused with communication in our school as there was a meeting in the afternoon that meant we didn’t have classes. It was not clear if we were supposed to attend this meeting, along with all the students and there was enough confusing information that it meant I could sneak away, come home and have a nice afternoon nap! I can see my attitude to miscommunication is positive when the outcome works in my favour like this and luckily in this part of the school everything generally works out like this. This was not the case in our other schools.
The best thing about today was:
Listening to the Pitchblende album at high volume after Amy went out for the night and I ate a weed gummy. I always liked Pitchblende and their music is not easy to latch on to. Last night took it to the next level. If I hadn’t been getting sleepy I would’ve listened to the whole album again. As it was I hopped into bed and fell asleep listening to the jazzcore podcast which was also terrific.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
As I was driving dad’s van back from our Mae Chan dinner, all the u-turns were closed off by police, which happens when a member of the royal family comes to visit Doi Tung and they want the motorcade to be able to smoothly pass on through. This meant we couldn’t make our exit for the last 200 metres home and we were instructed to pull over to the left and turn our lights off and wait for it to pass. Amy was a little frustrated and said “fucking stupid” and her dad was annoyed at where I pulled over and wanted to move 5 metres forward but everyone told him it doesn’t matter though by this time he’d jumped out of the car indicating he was going to drive now. He got back in the passenger seat and I was just bemused by everything. Amy’s dad has some weird reactions sometimes and I don’t get it at all. I can’t see any connection between the way Thai kids react and the way he does. It’s like an alien mindset to me that I just can’t understand. It seems to be cultural but most reactions I can see some sense in but sometimes his are just bizarre. I’m curious about how his thinking works! Anyway, I agree with Amy that it’s fucking stupid to inconvenience so many people like this (hundreds and hundreds of police have to stand around for up to six hours preparing for this)but there doesn’t need to be a reaction to it. In the end, we only had to wait a few minutes and I calmly sat and waited until we could go again and we were home without too much delay.
Something I learned today?
I’m writing this on Saturday morning and recalling events of yesterday and I know there are many small things I learned in passing, by reading, talking and interacting but nothing is stepping forward to announce itself right now. It’s one of those days of learning whilst not knowing you’re learning. Accumulating knowledge, stored in the brain bank and used subconsciously. Today I will try to be more conscious.
In what ways are you good at your job?
I’m good at my job in that I can make the students feel like they are having fun whilst learning a little. I come up with ideas for classes and I try to gauge my student’s feelings and abilities and help them when I can. I’m flexible, patient and understanding. Really these are not specific skills for my job of being a teacher but more for life. Life is my real job. Am I good at that? I’m still a student in that regard and hope to always be.

I took this picture because Cap was super chilled and sunk into the sofa, lost in his fur. No new pictures today so this is a default fallback cat pic!

Fair Trade – 9th April 2022

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Would you really trade wisdom for youth?
Too smart to ever fall off your bike
Born old and closed to new truth
Already knowing everything you like

The knocks that you took to grow
Gave deeper meaning to everything new
There are always more things to know
And these are the things that make you

Some people conform to the tastes of others, and they end up wearing a mask that hides their true nature.

Robert Greene

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for my little hard-working motorbike that took me up and away into the mountains today.

Letter from the future to Amy (sent 7th Feb 2022)

Dear Future Little Amy,

Right now, you are in Chatswood, Australia and I am in Chiang Rai, Thailand. I’m in a cafe because the school doesn’t have anything for me to do today. Jobs where you get paid to do nothing! Crazy!

I just talked to you on the phone as you were eating spicy Som Tum in our old Chatswood kitchen. You sound happy to be back in Australia although maybe not quite sure what will happen next.

You’ll go to Albury and Adelaide and take a look around there, thinking about future possibilities. Who knows, by the time you get this letter you may be thinking of running your own little business in one of these places. Or you may be thinking to come back to Chiang Rai, relaxing and drinking red wine, playing with the cats and watching Netflix all day.

I’m happy with myself and my job. You know that I feel good to be working with the students and not necessarily the school. I’ll hang in for as long as I can and try not to cause any trouble! Haha. You know me.

Little Amy, you know I really miss your cooking. It’s the best and you’ve always taken care of me with that. Even though we are far apart, it still feels like you are here. It’s easy for us to talk anytime we want.

Happy Anniversary Amy Kee Mow.
Love you so mootch.

I’d got into my mind that today I’d get up, feed the cats and then go off on the bike – and that’s what happened. A couple of coffees to rev up at Utopia, fill up the tank with petrol and out in the cool of the morning, around 8.30 am.

First, the long way up to Doi MaeSalong, where I needn’t have worried about my bike making it up the hills; it was fine. The road hasn’t changed much since I was last up there, though I can see a lot more cleared land for whatever reason. I stopped at the top just to stretch my legs and shake out my butt. It’s nice up there but it was still early, not many people about or shops open.

Next to Doi Tung, through some roads I haven’t been before. I turned at one place, thinking I was going the right way but checking the map, realised it was not where I wanted to be going. But no worries, down a lane, down to a river and I can get back on track. Or so I thought. The lane turned to dirt; curious families looked on as I went by. The dirt turned to a walking track through pineapple fields and eventually, at the bottom of a hill, the road on the map- seemingly where I was- just turned into jungle with no way through and nowhere to turn around.

I rolled back out and winged it, in unmarked territory, heading, what seemed, the general direction of the main road, maybe close by, or maybe over several hills. But it all worked out. I was getting a bit nervous myself.

On I went, missing the turn I wanted but finding another shortcut, which also turned to dirt but soon back to tarmac. It was so quiet in these places, no one around, just perhaps the occasional worker farming away at something. If my bike conked out somehow, it was a freaking long walk from anything or anyone.

The shortcut worked out fine in the end, with some amazingly pretty scenery, a real state of satisfaction overwhelming me. After all this diversion, I got to Mae Fah Lueang and stopped quickly to buy a roti and Thai Milk Tea. My first food for the day.

Doi Tung was just around the corner and from there on up to Pha Hee, stopping for a quick photo. Then, down and along to Pha Mi, where a sign for strawberries got my curiosity. Again, into the jungle, the road ok for a while but slowly getting rough, semi-sealed, on and down, winding around and eventually ending at a small building with some people sitting around eating lunch. I asked if they had any strawberries, knowing that the season had just finished. A crinkled, middle-aged, skinny guy held out some juicy fruit and when I went to pick one, he turned my hand over and put the whole lot in my palm. Eat away, he said. I understood bits and pieces as other folks wandered around and handed me strawberries. I said I wanted to buy some but they said no, they don’t look beautiful- just eat. So I did.

Eventually, a lady came up from the field and she spoke a little English. She started picking out the best fruit into a pack for me and bemoaned the fact that the fruit wasn’t beautiful. It was, however, delicious, as I kept popping more and more in my mouth. Eventually she filled the pack and I offered her money, which she again refused but I laid down 100 baht in her strawberry basket and she said thank you. I think they were so surprised to see anyone; they were happy and they’ll have something to gossip about for a minute. I was very happy too.

Awesome. People are nice. I think a majority of people are nice, until you get to know them. That’s where problems arise. I’m happy with the people I know and I’m happy to meet others and even if our interactions are superficial, then that is fine. Not everything needs to mean something.

Back on the road, I floated down the narrow roads of Pha Mi, which was very quiet, not yet kicked into tourist gear. Scattered all throughout my journey are empty buildings everywhere, many obviously used at one time and others only half-built, never finished. It feels like nothing here will last long, so nothing is actually built to last. I wonder if we can ever sell our house or if one day it will be empty, with the jungle creeping in through all the cracks?

Back on the main road and it’s about a 30km ride home, all the way through. As I got to Mae Chan traffic lights, I spotted The English Place and Nong Kratae’s car so pulled and said hello. She was very surprised to see me as I told her my story. She pointed to a girl there, not sure if staff or student but she had spoken to Amy just yesterday about going to Australia. I asked her why she wanted to go and she said, ‘nothing to do here ‘, and I laughed and said, ‘that’s why I like it here – there’s nothing to do!’

I’d been zooming down the highway and up in the mountains but I realised I couldn’t hear very well. I blew out my ears but it didn’t help much. I had a drink of water, said thanks and see you later. Just ten more minutes to go.

Home again after about six hours. Sunburned and satisfied. My whole body is still vibrating, even after an hour and a shower.

Aircon and chill. I don’t think I’ll be up to much else today.