Foot Massage - What a Treat!

Dear Bloggers:

As I walked about Bangkok before my class started later today, my mind was racing with each new experience.

The walkways so crowded I could hardle move. Vendors lined the walkways as they displayed their goods...everything from food to silk to massages of all types. Wat's are everywhere. At one point I wanted to cross the street, however, no cross walks here...so I have learned to do as the locals do...just do it! Funny how there is an unpublished and apparently innate way for both traffic AND people to move in a city of 10 million plus. Somehow it is a dance that works! Maybe that is why Bangkok is called the "City of Angels"...they must be looking out for everyone.


As I was wrapping up my walk, I walked by a massage vendor offerring one hour foot massages...for 250 Baht ($7.17 U.S.). How could I resist after a long flight and a long walk. Support the locals I rationalized. So, in I went. An hour later, feet still in working order, headache gone, and I, much relaxed after a cup of hot tea (which accompanied the massage), I was ready to return to the hotel. This could become a habit! I wonder if I could convince my husband Art to massage my feet for an hour for less than $10...probably not.

I have been trying to download images for you all to see, however, I am having some technical difficulty...will keep trying. I think I have to somehow make them web friendly.

Our first class revealed a very diverse group of photographers - Guatemala, Spain, Los Angeles, Miami, Manhattan, Michigan, Beverly Hills, and Sweden. We heard about Nevada's life as a photographer and how she basically trained herself.(Isn't that the point?) We had a wonderful Thai dinner this evening with traditional Thai dancers to entertain us. The food was spicy and in some cases undefinable...tasty none the less.

Let me leave you with this..again from "Lost Horizon": "Conway alone submitted to a rich and growing enchantment. It was not so much any individual thing that attracted him as the gradual revelation of elegance, of modest and impeccable taste, of harmony so fragrant that it seemed to gratify the eye without arresting it."

NEWSFLASH: With Art's help I am able to post images...still struggling with the placement however!

Now...my question of the day for all you bloggers is...NAME THAT FRUIT!?* (The image of the green and red fruit on the far right.) I plan on asking one of the staff in the morning...will let you know what I find out.

Stay tuned....Linda

Good Morning Bangkok!

Dear Bloggers:

Arrived in Bangkok to the beautiful Shangri La Hotel about 11:30PM on Sunday night. Did a brief tour of the hotel and crashed. The trip went off without a hitch...even though it was a long and grueling one. The hotel is right on the Chao Phraya River...the main river that runs through Bangkok and I am on the 20th floor. I can't help but think of the saying, "A River Runs Though It".

I sat by the window this morning and watched as Bangkok revealed itself to me as the sun came up. Clearly the river gives life to this city. I watched as the number of boats on the river increased by the hour as people travelled to work on the river as the city came alive. Imagine going to work by boat! Something peaceful about starting your day on the water.

If you are interested in viewing the hotel, go to their website at: http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/bangkok/shangrila

As I went to bed last night, on my pillow was the following quote from the book, "Lost Horizon"." He was discovering happiness in the present. When he sat reading in the library, or playing Mozart in the music-room, he often felt the invasion of a deep spiritual emotion, as if Shangri-La were indeed a living essence, distilled from the magic of the ages and miraculously preserved against time..."

For me, travel forces me to live in the present, make conscious choices, and marvel at how much I don't know. There are surprises around every corner...life is no longer predictable (if it ever was). From the high tech bathrooms in Toyko to the electrical converters that blasted the electrical system in my hotel room last night...you must be prepared to be surprised at every turn!

They say our mind and our thoughts drive our behaviors. I have been so aware of the stories I tell myself and the assumptions I make about the way things are in a foreign county. So many choices about what we choose to believe about our experiences. Amazed, once again how it feels to be in the minority...to walk in someone else's shoes. Humbling to say the least. You don't know what you don't know!

So, I am off to my photography class to learn just how much more I don't know...

Thanks for checking in...will post more tomorrow.

Linda