Merry Christmas, Happy New Year 2009

I want to wish everyone a joyous holiday season!

I'm thankful for a lovely year once again for work, play and travel.

This season I will be spending the holidays staying close to Chiang Mai, quite busy with deadlines, yet still able to join in the many fun celebrations with friends, colleagues and students.

I will be missing my family quite a bit this Christmas. But people have really shared the Christmas giving spirit. I want to Thank Joan Eubank in particular for the cute little handmade wise-men from a Wa minority village. They look great around the tree.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Wedding in Danang, Vietnam

A wedding was the occasion of my third trip to Vietnam. My first trip was to Hanoi and the north, and second was to Saigon. Both times I met with some unpleasant encounters. But time, distance, and reassurance from friends who said they would watch out for me prepared me to go back again. This time was to the city of Danang in the central region.

October is rainy season, so it poured torrential rains to the point of major flooding. Our outings were somewhat limited, and two days of running around in half a foot of water gave me a nasty cold - which I passed on to my travel buddy, JLoh. We did get to visit the beach (above), with a white Quan Yin statue on the mountain. Mostly we hung out at coffee shops and ate scrumptious local dishes at fun restaurants. One place we got to enjoy great food was in the quaint town of Hoi Anh, where we ate at one of the oldest establishments in town. The cao lau noodles are particular to this area and the water has to be drawn from a special blessed well. Parts of Hoi Anh still maintains narrow, cobble stone streets where cars cannot threat, so as you can see in this picture, it was quite an adventure to get around in the rain!

As for the wedding....
Let me say that my observations are colored not only from me being an outsider, but as someone more than a little suspicious of the capitalist love story that is the wedding industry and the kind of gender cliches much of it plays into. But you can take what I say in a light, fun-loving manner, and in all honesty, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am very happy to have joined and contributed to this celebration. But enough by way of prologue.

The wedding unfolded in three main events: an intimate morning blessing with breakfast and coffee, a larger church service mid-morning, and finally a huge reception over lunch. The groom is from a big Christian family, and the first part of the celebration was held at the girls orphanage his family runs.

About the reception - wow. The reception was held in one of the many huge event halls that line the riverfront. We were in a place called "Golden Palace," but I secretly hoped it would be at the "4U Palace" next door, just to say I went to a place with that name. There were at least three other wedding receptions occurring in the other halls, and several more evening weddings the same day. I'm still trying to figure out how so many people in Vietnam are getting married; if tying the knot is in decline in Europe and North America, it is as robust as ever in Vietnam! With all the weddings going on at the same time, it's easy to imagine that people might sometimes walk into the wrong hall, and worse, put their monetary gifts in the wrong basket. A misfortune, I'm told, is not uncommon! We knew it was our friends' wedding because there were huge photos of the couple at the entrance. JLoh and I got a kick out of these because some were the most hilariously contrived poses we'd ever seen. I'm not talking about the typical western white wedding dress-tux photo, or the Thai bride in Vietnamese garb. I'm talking about the bride serenading her man with a violin (knowing, for certain, it was the first time she'd ever touched that instrument!), or the groom riding a bicycle on the beach while the passenger bride held a bouquet to the sky as the flowers flowed in the wind. After perusing the photos, we made our way to the huge and nicely decorated hall for the 650 attendees.

To give a better feel for the events at this colorful reception, I will retell things as they happened. We immediately sit down to start our seven course lunch. Everything is absolutely delicious, and I tried everything, everything! Except for the cow-tongue. People are eating and talking when the MC comes up and begins announcing something in a very official, excited tone - of course I have no idea what he was saying, everything is in Vietnamese, and I'm one of exactly two non-Asians there.

Suddenly, a thunderous blast comes out from the speaker, there is smoke everywhere with flashing red lights, they play the opening music of Carmina Burana, and a mechanical catwalk comes out of the stage. Oh, the anticipation! Is this the bride and groom coming?! Not yet ... A young man and women make their way up the steps singing a love song. On the stage, three women and a man ballet-dance to the duet (below).

A little while later, after pyrotechnic and confetti explosions fly all over the stage, the bride and groom enter the hall. Their parents join on stage as well for greetings and thank you's. I shouldn't forget to mention the cake boys who usher in the five pieces of wedding cake, and stand guard as the newlyweds light candles and make the first cut. After the party leave the stage there are some minutes of eating and talking as the newlywed go around from one table to the next greetings guests. Then, in unison, people suddenly stand up to leave, and the father of the groom quickly takes the microphone to say a short goodbye, as people file out. The place was near empty in five minutes, except for our table, with JLoh and I still holding our chop sticks, confused about what to do next, and really, waiting for a piece of wedding cake. We came to discover that the cakes were fake. Disappointment! After a mini photo-shoot on the stage, we get ready to head back to our hotel and are quite surprised to hear the newlyweds announce: "be ready, we're coming to pick you up in about 2 hours, we're all going out." Their priority was taking care of their families and friends that came to the wedding, and they didn't even sleep in the same house until they left Danang three days after their wedding.

On our way back to Thailand we stopped in Ho Chi Minh City. It was a pleasant visit, and I owe that entirely to friends and former students, who accommodated us in the most hospitable and gracious way possible. It was so good to see many of them. Some are involved in all kinds of exciting projects and ministries like media, theological training schools, and working with Vietnamese migrant workers newly returned from labor exploitation in Malaysia. Outside of the safety of the city, some Christian groups struggle much more to launch ministries. In the central region of Vietnam, where "house churches" are not officially recognized by the government, Christians are periodically persecuted and oppressed. One of the bridesmaids had to leave right after the wedding to deal with the recent wave of harassment of Christian teenagers from her church. While we were discussing this, I was so touched by her perseverance, optimism, and faith that God would open the way. "Despite all of this, I feel so much joy." How remarkably inspiring! Many thanks to all the Vietnamese who made the trip for us.

Fundraiser and Ordination for Cambodian Youth Summer Camp

This summer a few friends invited me to attend a monk ordination ceremony and fundraiser for young Cambodian monks. It was aimed at youth at risk or dropping out of school or who lack educational opportunities. It was held at the temple Wat Suan Dok through Cambodian students at Mahachulalonghorn Buddhist University. Mahachulalonghorn has many monks enrolled from Cambodia who are quite bright and active. Many were the same monks involved in our Buddhism and Christianity course based on inter-religious dialogue involving Christian and Buddhist students this semester.
In this fundraiser you could make a donation in two ways. One is the easy way: foreigners, non-Buddhist, and people in a hurry gave directly to the money box and kindly wrote their names, personal details, and organization to be read out loud later. A second way to give, which is more intricate, more aesthetic and more meritorious, is to shape bills into a lotus flower. Below left is a Thai bill in made into a flower; below right the communal process of opening the flowers.

A couple of my friends were so touched enough by the cause they went on to be ordained with these young monks in Cambodia. I was glad to have made some new friends among the monks - and many are part of internet social networks. Those connections became a good basis later for building trust and engaging in dialogue with Christian students. Left are some of the participants and observers after the ceremony. Thanks to all who invited me and the monks who remained connected after. Click play to listen to the ordination chant:

[Listening may require Quicktime plug-in and settings]

Buddhism and Christianity Course Coming Together

Not often do you see a group of Buddhist monks in church in Thailand, but that was the privilege of our Buddhist and Christianity course a few weeks ago (left). Christian students also had the chance to visit the temple at the end of the Buddhist Lent, accompanied by the same monks. This was all made possible through the Buddhism and Christianity course I am co-teaching with Rev. John Butt, this year with the help of intern Charlie Carstens from Harvard Divinity School. This is the second year I have been involved in the course, and it has been great fun. Each year has been different; last year John arranged for a guest once a week to speak from the Buddhist community. This year however, I was determined to get current and prospective Christian leaders from our program and monks together in the same classroom space. Thanks to meeting ajan Steve Epstein at Mahachulalonghorn University at Wat Suan Dok, we were able to make it happen. The result was six wonderful gatherings together. It was a learning experience for all of us.

Inter-religious dialogue can be difficult. We were careful to set the right tone, to have comparable goals without forcing conformity, to pose the right questions, to moderate discussions well while encouraging student interaction. In one session, for instance, we discussed how 'GOD' and 'DHAMMA' (or DHARMA) might be two ways of talking about ultimate transcendent truth and reality, but withheld making any definite assertions about whether they refer to the same reality. We also had to, for example, agree that engaging in inter-religious dialogue is desirable and worthy in itself, and not simply a subordinated means to another goal - whether that goal is convincing someone to put on a saffron robe, or just to learn useful facts about another religion ... All this really takes practice, as we came to find out very quickly that the Christian students had very little experience talking about their faith outside the circles of their tradition. As a first time venture for many, I think our dialogue went quite well.
There were perhaps some apprehensions at the onset about a hidden agenda to proselytize the other, especially since the monks sometimes have evangelical Christians who come to their tri-weekly monk chats expressly to 'save their souls.' Yet in the end, there was perhaps at least the seeds of conversion, if conversion is expanded to mean not simply changing one's faith tradition, but being open to transformation through the sharing of faith - and allowing one's faith to be challenged and even changed in conversation with others. All in all we had representatives from the Americas and all over south east Asia: Cambodia (where most of monks were from), Laos, Burma, Vietnam, and of course Thailand from Jewish, Christian, and Buddhist traditions. Thanks for all for such a warm experience.

A Long Weekend at Ayuthaya Ruins

Ayuthaya Historical Park was a recent long weekend trip. We decided to hop on the night train, and after four lovely hours as the center of entertainment for the workers in the food cart, we were off to our bunks and woke up in the morning at our destination. The old city is actually a natural island formed by the convergence of two rivers, so a short short tuk tuk ride over the main bridge and we were at our hotel, and in no time off to explore ruins. Ayuthaya was the capital of the largest and strongest kingdoms prior to modern day Thailand, from 1350 to 1767 before being taken over by the Burmese. It is not as manicured nor as aesthetically pleasing as Sukhothai (way to much garbage, way too many mangy dogs, and more crowded as the city spills into the ruins), but it is still quite impressive, and is more important in terms of Thai royal history. An interesting anecdote from the locals is that the the current Queen Sirikit had a vision that she was the incarnation of queen Suriyothai of Ayuthaya, and what emerged from her initial vision is a well-produced movie trilogy which includes The Legend of Suriyothai (Francis Ford Coppola), King Naresuan, and a third movie now in production. But we didn't spend too much time with the royal history, preferring instead to explore the ruins, temples, and Buddha images. The picture above is from a Wat Phra Si Sanphet, the most distinctive Ayuthaya style architecture, since most other structures borrow heavily from others in the region, especially Sukhothai and the Khmer. The reclined Buddha is one of the most visited of the old city.

We went during the most important two days for Buddhists to visit temples: the end of the Rain Retreat, or Buddhist Lent as it is commonly known to foreigners. Thais come from all over to visit some of the more important temples and monasteries, like the one here, Wat Mongkhon Bophit. This houses one of the largest bronze cast Buddha images in Thailand. Since this is the most auspicious two days to visit temple, in Buddhist terms, we made a ton of merit. There was no organized service, so everyone going to the temple were doing his or her own thing. It was interesting to try to get my head around how many things were going on at once. First, a whole service sector of food and refreshments cropped up, and well as an entire market selling all kinds of items and products, some religious - like candles, incense and Buddha amulets - some not. Then there were people praying, lighting incense, getting blessings from monks, and some buying and selling of lottery tickets (!?).

Like many other major city states, Ayuthaya prides itself in acquiring important Buddha images from around the region as a testament to fortune, power, and prestige. Wat Phra Mehn (Meru) is home to one of the most beautiful images I've seen in Thailand (apart from my all-time favorites of the Sukhothai period, which I hope to write about next month). Below is thought to be a 1300 year old sitting image in Dvaravati style originating in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).
Two distinct aspects are the facial features, particularly the nose and lips, and the sitting posture, very rare among Siamese Buddha images.

I don't include very much of Ayuthaya Buddha images because many of them were destroyed. When the Burmese took over, they sometimes cut off the heads of Buddhas or melt them down for the gold. Others just deteriorated with time. Left is what remains of a Buddha image after the tree roots get the best of it at Wat Phra Mahathat (this temple built by King Naresuan 14th Century).

We had a pleasant time riding around parts of the old city on bicycles, until we had to cave in to the heat, at which point we took respite in the lovely coffee shop and pool of one of the nicest little boutique hotels I've ever stayed in, The Iudia. Yes, feast your eyes below on our wonderful view, right on the river and facing the ruins!

Little David Honduras Stands Firm Against Goliath

"No one can make me resign if I do not violate the laws of the country. If there is any invasion ... 7.5 million Hondurans will be ready to defend our territory and our laws and our homeland and our government."

-Michelleti, Interim President of Honduras

The world is witnessing a familiar story: DAVID vs GOLIATH.

Honduras stands firm against the pressures and threats of the world. The U.N., O.A.S., and much of the mainstream media calls Zeleya's ouster an undemocratic military coup. But Honduras' interim President, the congress, all major parties (included Zelaya's own party), the Supreme Court, the electoral council, the attorney general, the military, the majority of people, along with Catholic and evangelical leaders disagree.

You already know how the mainstream media has characterized this: as a 'coup' of the state, undemocratic, and 'illegal.' Actually, reporting has been appalling (as many Hondurans will aver); no reporters are going to the country. For example: Tens of thousands of protesters wearing white have come out all over the country in favor of Zelaya's arrest as democratic, but not one report about these peaceful marches has been fully covered outside Honduran press.

The majority of people in these marches as well as the current leaders claim Zelaya's arrest was sanctioned and ordered by the main governing bodies of the country: the supreme court, the constitution, and the congress; and that Zelaya's arrest has safeguarding democratic order and process. The military was simply following the orders of these governing bodies. In fact, every governing body in Honduras remains intact - except that Zelaya is out. If this is a 'coup,' then it certainly has none of the characteristics of a classic coup: it has not disrupted democratic order or the governing bodies, or the constitution, at all. On the contrary, Zelaya's arrest has served to safeguard democratic order from a leader who repeatedly defied the Honduran law and constitution.

I am from the Bay Islands of Honduras, and I want to share with you the majority of Hondura perspective on this, because the media has been biased and lopsided, and further, has misrepresented basic facts and this has led to wrongful and premature condemnation.

The majority of Hondurans are proud their country is standing up for its laws and constitution. Zelaya popular support has dropped somewhere between 25-30% in the opinion polls (see Reuters, AP, La Prensa.hn, etc. although it wasn't much better before). Zelaya attempted what was perceived as a power grab. Chavez coached Zelaya on how to try to get around what congress, the supreme court, etc. would not let him do - extend the term limit - so he forced an 'opinion' vote. This vote was deemed illegal by the governing bodies. The congress voted unanimously, and even had the O.A.S. observe and legitimate the decision. Because Zelaya would not cease in seeking what was branded an illegal vote ("la cuarta urna") by all governing bodies, Zelaya put himself squarely outside the law and the constitution. He was warned repeatedly to stop, but he continued to act above the law. Finally, the supreme court demanded his arrest, backed by the attorney general and congress, and the military obeyed.

What would America do if Bush (or Obama) tried to run a referendum to build support for a third term to presumably give himself more power, a referendum deemed illegal by the Constitution and the Supreme Court, against the Federal Election Committee and the Attorney General? On top of going against Congress and the majority of voters, even his own party? And you find out it was financed all along by Chavez? This is exactly what happened in Honduras.

How can the world justify telling Honduras what their law should be? saying it is 'illegal'? that By whose standards? They ARE abiding by THEIR laws. The US has a constitution that its leaders respect. Even Bush, for all his unpopular decisions, had to respect the decisions of congress and seek their support. For example, if Bush had gone to war with Iraq without congress, he would have committed an illegal act. So with Zelaya. How can you have a democracy without following the constitution or the rule of law? Is democracy that shallow? Even if Zelaya is 're-instituted,' as the international community seems to desire, since he has no institutional support, he will be unable, practically, to govern. What message about democratic process will that give to the world, to take back a president who was taken out of office for defying the laws of the land? We already know from our history lessons what happens when you force-impose a president nobody wants. Remember the mess in Haiti? When the international community forced Aristide back into power, the country deteriorated into chaos. Aristide, same as Zelaya, had no support with governing institutions or the majority of people.

And think of the irony: Obama was slow to condemn Iran, but reactionary against Honduras? I cannot understand. Even if you can understand the caution with Iran, doesn't Honduran law and democracy and will also deserve the same caution?

David may be up against Goliath - a Goliath of international condemnation and threats. But in David's slingshot there is a deadly pebble: the will of the Honduran people. With his tiny pebble David can bring down this Goliath.

... With time, that is, to sway public opinion. Let's hope Honduras is not invaded before it gets to shoot the sling.

At the very least, people should be informed of the majority perspective before making a judgment on this fragile democracy. Honduras needs to hold out long enough for the facts to come to light, and the international community softens its tone with informed positions.

-aj.Daeng

Please keep Honduras in your thoughts and prayers.

~~- ~~- ~~- ~~- ~~- ~~- ~~- ~~- ~~- ~~-

Below are resources for further information. I will update this as I can.

A compilation of reports, updates, resources. (last updated August 31)

Letter to the Citizen's of the World from the Foreign Minister of Honduras.

Hua Hin Beach: Noon, Dawn and Dusk

Noon, dawn, and dusk photos from a recent weekend in Hua Hin, favorite getaway of the King and Queen of Thailand. Hua Hin is popular with the Bangkok crowd, as it's only a few hours drive away. At Dawn: Monks back from the alms walk toward the Buddha Image (above).

At Noon: We stayed away from Hua Hin in Takiap, 5 kilometers south. Within walking distance is the little hill with the standing Buddha, and nearby is the fishing center, fresh fish markets, and net weavers. In the midday hours the tide was low enough and the sand solid enough for us to bike the entire length of the beach up to Hua Hin, refreshing ourselves with food and drink along the way. Of course the fresh seafood is amazing, better than any I've had in Thailand so far.
At Dusk: The rising tide prepares the fishing and squid boats for a night outing, while boys play football.

Alba, Wine Country

Alba, in Northwestern Italy, was a nice place to unwind and uncork from the intensity of my few days in Rome. And what an uncorking it was, literally! The area around Alba is known for wine and its gorgeous countryside that still maintains the feel of the small city-states of old: each hill having a town, topped with a castle, with a sea of vineyard fields flowing out to the foot of the next hill town. Some of the wines we tried in the area included dolcetto, barbera, barberesco, nebiolo and barolo.The Corkscrew Museum with the Barolo castle shown in the reflection.

I can't talk about Italy without mentioning food. Italians have one way and one way only to eat: their way. One evening when I asked for coffee along with dessert I was curtly informed of the Italian eating sequence by the waiter: "Absolutely NOT. No drinking espresso with gelato! I will bring it after you finish ..." But I am happy to eat and drink by the rules: dress up when you go out, order vino spumante first, then several courses, dessert, have coffee (after!), and take a really long time dining. All fine by me! I'm happy to abide by any rules that involve more food, drink, lounging and looking good!









The little dog above is excited about the cheeses and ice cream. That's pretty much how I felt! except I was a little better, I hope, at not showing it quite so much.

Total weight gained on the trip from the Islands to Italy: 4 pounds. It was worth every single bitty ounce of goodness! I even as much as ventured to try carne cruda (and that was my first and will be my only time).

Thanks to DrH and many others again for making the trip possible.

At Last Italy, We Meet in Rome

Rome: amazing food, drink, art, churches, ruins. What could be better? My friends and I have known for a long time that Italy and I are soulmates of sorts who'd never met. We've finally gotten a chance to meet for the first time, starting in Rome. Starting in Rome is a myriad of wonders. Rome is at once romantic - at every corner, history; behind every nook, beauty - and, like the old days, a circus spectacle, a clash of tourists and charged locals that is inevitable once a city has become the numero uno most visited place on earth. And who wouldn't want stare in awe at the Colosseum? And stand inside the sheer enormity of it, imagining when almost two thousand years ago, people inside cheered on gladiators or the latest Christian being torn apart by a lion?

There's no way to describe Rome, I can but give a taste with my impression, and hope people aren't sick of hearing about the plazas and the Caravaggios and Da Vincis and the crypts. Here are a few favorites.

The Pantheon (above). I was impressed by this great concrete dome that stood alone for so long, and how they pulled off such a huge and ambitious architectural project. It was later taken over by Christians of course, and is used to house tombs - like Raphael's.

Some things in the Vatican Museum worth mentioning. In terms of classical sculpture, The Laocoon and his Sons, and Apollo in the Belvedere garden of the Vatican Museum (above). All photographs posted are taken by me or DrH, so this shot doesn't capture the full frontal complexity of the Laocoon, but you can see how amazing it is. You can also understand from the sensitive facial expressions why there is controversy about whether it is in fact classical or whether Michelangelo is the real secret sculptor after all.
There are two Raphael paintings I want to share. The first is Raphael's The School of Athens. I've been waiting to see this painting for a long time now. I preached one of my first sermons at the Boston Temple using it as an illustration, with Plato and Aristotle's argument about where to find truth. I changed that be where to look for God: Plato pointing up to the forms, and Aristotle pointing to down around us.
The other is Raphael's painting of The Ascension which I couldn't stop looking at. With two centers, what is most moving to me is the woman. my eyes go right to her pose and her blue robe, blue being the most expensive paint, a sign of importance. She exemplifies faith by being calm, bold and courageous through the confusion of doubt and fear.

Then there is the Sistine Chapel, which needless to say, is amazing. I know because if it weren't so, the crowd of people would have driven me insane (so many people! so loud!). Below is the most famous anthropomorphic creation story, The Creation of Adam, God touching fingers with Adam to bring him to life. (My favorite character representation is the oracle of Delphic Sibyl.)

On to St. Peter's Basilica. St. Peter's is so loaded with art of all kinds, relics, and tombs of great leaders at every corner wing and on every wall as far as your neck allows you to look up, you hardly even notice its interior magnitude. It's hard to imagine worshiping inside a church with 60,000 other believers (its capacity!).

Two more sculptures that I'm still thinking about: one is in the Basilica, Michelangelo's La Pietà. The Virgin looks so young and natural, yet powerful holding her son's body (below, left).

The other is Bernini's The Ecstasy of St. Theresa in the little church of Santa Maria della Vittoria (above, right). Those facial expressions, an almost mischievous angel, and well, the Ecstasy of Theresa! Need I say more? I'll go back in a second and just visit churches and ruins, and of course eat and drink. Soulmates!? A very special thanks to DrH for making it possible.

Easter Weekend Beaching in Bonnaca

In mainland, mostly Catholic Honduras, Easter is filled with religious celebrations, processions, flowers, as should be at the height of the most important Christian holiday. The whole country closes down for Semana Santa. But on The Bay Islands in the Caribbean which is mostly Protestant, the dominant mode of celebration is going to the beach. Days and days of beaching! Days and days of local food and music, celebrating with friends and family. It's the time of year islanders living all over the world 'come home.' It's also a time for those who live in the mainland to get in a beach holiday. It's been years and years since I've had a chance to spend Easter at home.
I'm very grateful I got to get there this year. Here's a few pictures, and a favorite Soca style song from our local Roatan band, Sherman and the Boys:

[Listening may require Quicktime plug-in and settings]

Chiang Mai Dinner with Friends & Teachers

A picture of a lovely dinner this last year with my former professor Donald Swearer, Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School, along with his wife Nancy Swearer, Adam and Naoko. Professor Swearer recommended Adam and I to our currents posts in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for which we are very grateful. How I was first persuaded into his Buddhism course is a funny story for another time :)

Here is the full copy of the Newsletter for those interested.