The Red Connection

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Translatability and future of Christianity

2010-12-31T00:09:00.003+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Translatability and future of Christianity: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Led by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

It was fitting that our last guest lecturer for Global Christianity, Dr. Jay Gary of Regent University, tried to encourage the class to think about the ‘future scenarios’ for Christianity in the next century. Dr. Gary looked at 15 scenarios that are projected into the next century, such as the rich-poor gap, ecological crisis, technology, many of them dilemmas of difference, and encouraged us to think about which might be more relevant to the future of Christianity.

Dr. Gary encouraged us to use our intuition to envision the factor we thought would be determinants of Christianity growth and transformation. A few of us thought that technology was important for Christianity. Hee Jin discussed how churches in Korea were already trying to close the technological generation gap by engaging in smart networking and creating applications about church activities and spirituality for smart-phones. We discussed, however, the fine line churches must walk between becoming too commercialized and thus loosing the mystery and tradition that goes beyond refashioning spirituality to the mundane and popular vernaculars of the day.

Many of the future scenarios that emerged predict a much darker future of conflict and competition for Christianity. Many settings envisioned were resonant with worldwide clashes of differences and how Christian communities might deal with conflict and rise above it. One of many concerns was for an East Asia in conflict with the West. But such generalizations are hard to pin down. Some of the situations projected intra-religiously cultural conflict – through Christianity of the North clashing with the rising Christianity of the South (Phillip Jenkins, The Next Christendom). Perhaps this would play out less in terms of North-South, but more along the lines of a more Charismatic, personal faith in contrast to a more traditional-historical and corporate faith. To some, the common prediction of an inter-religious clash between Islam and Christianity resounds as more likely. As The Atlas of Global Christianity aptly states, the history of Christianity indicates that growth is fragmentary and punctuated. Christianity has risen to prominence and fallen from many regions, only to rise in others (decline and North Africa, and the fast growth in sub-Saharan Africa are just one set of examples). By contrast, Islamic growth tends to be steady and territorial. As Brad pointed out, scholars like Lamin Sanneh and Andrew Walls argue that the translatability of Christianity is part of the reason for this fragmentation and punctuated growth.

Perhaps it is migration patterns that will be most likely to decide the future of Christianity. Christianity has defied predictions of decline due to secularization and the privatization of religion. The translatability of Christianity could very well create more fragmentation, yet with it seeds of renewal to forge future adaptations.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: "Boundaries" for mission today

2010-12-15T00:13:00.001+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: "Boundaries" for mission today: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Led by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

Boston University historian Dr. Dana L. Robert was the most recent guest lecturer for our Global Christianity course. Dr. Robert’s fascinating talk traced the shifting use over the last century of the concept of the mission field as ‘frontier.’ Earlier uses of the term, influenced by American Western expansion, saw mission as a territorial frontier. But the strictly territorial use of the idea of mission as frontier shifted to accommodate political and social realities. Drawing ‘Social Gospel’ movement, some missionaries envisioned mission frontiers in terms of social justice. Others likened mission frontier to that of crossing the boundary between ‘belief’ and ‘unbelief.’ A more recent transformation of the idea of frontier comes from work of Donald McGavran and Ralph Winter, who made popular the idea that “Unreached People” who do not have access to the Gospel are the primary frontier for modern missions. Dr. Robert suggested this view a is narrowing of the meaning of frontier. Mission is commonly understood as a crossing over some kind of boundary, and ‘frontier’ language has proved resilient, and may see another transformation in the coming years.

As our group discussed the lecture, we could agree that mission is most recognizable as a crossing of a boundary. Yet given the thorny history of Christian expansion which is sometimes linked with imperialism, several important questions emerged in discussion. Is the term ‘frontier’ for mission useful today? And if so, what is the most helpful way to understand the main ‘frontier’ for contemporary mission? If one abandons the specific use of the word ‘frontier’, what is the boundary that is most important to cross in order to engage responsibly in mission?

One suggestion in the discussion was to see the incarnation event itself as crossing a frontier, and an incarnational model of mission, being Christ in a holistic sense to our neighbors and seeing Christ in them, might be helpful. In this sense each person, each heart, could be considered a mission frontier. Although it has some evangelical overtones (‘every person is a missionary, every heart is a mission field’), it might be more helpful a word than the word ‘frontier’ that to some smacks of territorial takeover. But would this be saying that everyone can or should be a missionary, thereby diluting the meaning of mission? Perhaps there is a distinction between saying everyone is a missionary and saying Christian should strive to be missional. There is a movement in the West identifying itself as “missional church” that engages in theology and local outreach which is intentionally incarnational. Through the discussion many of us still sought to grapple with mission as a boundary crossing. We further asked ourselves what were the main ‘boundaries’ for mission today?

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Dynamics of mission and money

2010-12-01T09:35:00.003+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Dynamics of mission and money: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Led by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

This past week in Global Christianity, Dr. Jonathan Bonk from the Overseas Ministry Study Center at Yale University gave the lecture on Christian mission and finance. Instead of elaborating on his article from The Atlas of Global Christianity, which discusses the concentration of Christian wealth in the ‘global north’ despite the demographic shift of Christianity to the ‘global south,’ he took a narrative approach. Dr. Bonk started by looking at the large amounts of money pumped into mission in the global north, particularly mission approached from the impulse of economic and social development and contrasted this with extraordinary stories of successful evangelizing missions done by communities on limited economic resources, such as the Mizoram in northeast India, and the Kachin Baptist churches in Myanmar (Burma).

Through mission the good news of the gospel has an important impact on culture. However, as Dr. Bonk pointed out, the Christian message may necessitate a shift in culture but not necessarily a change towards western consumerism. This we thought was an important insight when considering finance and mission. We discussed the case of Korea, where during the post civil war era the country was in financial crisis. The infusion of money from missions allowed missionaries to build structures such as schools and hospitals. Two Korean students in our discussion suggested this may have forged a path for some to come to the church, as a first step of evangelism in the Korean church. At the same time, we discussed how accepting financial help has complex affects. It can create a one-sided influence from the providers, and perhaps create a dependency relationship. While educational and healthcare institutions might be a positive, the missionaries also westernized Korea and pushed aside many cultural practices considered unchristian. As a result there was some lose of cultural identity. Our discussion came to a consensus that relationship building is an important way of doing mission that is incarnational. Such a holistic, incarnational approach to mission ensures that missionaries retain a sensitivity to local culture and avoid, to some extent, the political pitfalls associated with social issues.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Quality of Roman Catholic mission

2010-11-17T11:25:00.000+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Quality of Roman Catholic mission: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Led by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

This past week in our Global Christianity course we had the opportunity to hear from guest lecturer Father Vincent Machozi of Boston University on significant changes in Roman Catholicism over the last one hundred years. Father Machozi brought up some important points that stimulated our discussion. Among his points was expansion of the church in the global South, and with it a changing understanding of ‘catholicity’ as fullness of life. Father Machozi also brought attention to changes in the Roman Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council, particularly with the attention given to the church and social action.

We found Father Machozi’s point that catholicity understood as fullness of life has a profound impact on mission very interesting. Such an approach no longer sees mission as converting the whole world, and instead focuses on mission as quality of life. It shifts the evaluation of mission success away from quantitative convert head counts, to whether Christianity is qualitatively relevant and potent to deal with problems people face daily, such as poverty and injustice. We noted that the question of quantity vs. quality in Roman Catholic missions is very important in Latin America, where Catholics are a majority in most countries. If quality is not emphasized, then people might become Catholics in name or identity only, without Christianity having a significant influence on important activities and decisions.

The Roman Catholic Church’s emphasis on social action was an aspect that we found very interesting, especially since all of us came from Protestant traditions we thought failed to take global action seriously as church bodies. We discussed whether the centralized hierarchical structure of the Roman Catholic Church allows Catholics to speak with tremendous power with a unified voice on important issues and stand up to such things as the debt of developing nations, poverty, and nuclear proliferation. We were left engaging with ideas on how Protestant churches might be inspired to take similar positions with resolve.

ajD's new home: Boston University

2010-11-04T01:25:00.013+07:00

Hello from Boston everyone! It has now been a few months since I've moved from Thailand to Boston, MA in the US to continue my studies. The cultural shift into Boston has not been easy. I continue to deeply miss the people and places in the Land of Smiles. This is my first semester in the PhD program in religious studies through Boston University's Division of Religious and Theological Studies. B.U. is one of the best places to study World Christianity and Mission, especially Christianity as a global phenomenon outside the West, as well as inter-religious dialogue and comparative religion; B.U. is also quite interdisciplinary across history and the social sciences, and has all the resources of the 10 schools that make up the Boston Theological Institute. All that said, that's why I'm here. I'm an associate at the Center for Global Christianity and Mission. You can find my profile there along with other students studying Global Christianity and Mission. There is also a picture of me and colleague in the slideshow at the opening reception for the Division on the current student page. Photo above.

Recent and upcoming events:

Cross Cultural Partnerships at B.U.: "Cross-Cultural Partnerships is a program that brings together International and American students and professors in a small group setting for weekly

fellowship and exchanges of perspectives on various aspects of culture. The aims of this program are to help build relationships between persons from different cultural backgrounds, and to further understanding about the richness of culture and the complexity of reaching across cultural lines. This program also assists students in optimizing their academic performance during their time at Boston University School of Theology by deepening their understanding of the standards and expectations they will encounter at this institution." The photo above is from a luncheon ... we are quite multi-cultural! from the Caribbean, China, South Korea, USA, and Indonesia.

2010Boston: The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity. 2010Boston is one of the many conferences going on worldwide this year to commemorate 100 years since the Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference. Celebrations are being held all over the Boston area, including Park St Church, B.U., Boston College and Harvard Divinity School.

Please check out the ongoing 2010Boston Blog. These blog's are written by doctoral students in Todd Johnson's Comparative Christianity: Global Christianity course. The blog posts are reflections from student groups on the rise of global Christianity and the significant changes within Christianity from 1910-2010. I am putting the discussions I summarize for the blog on The Red Connection each week, so look for previous and upcoming posts all fall.

The conference has a high degree of participation from students and there will be many student papers and workshops. On the 5th I will be presenting a paper for the "Mission in Context" panel on the rise of faith-based organizations and the transformation of mission and salvation. At the moment this work-in-progress is entitled "Salvation Now: Mission as Human Care and Development, the Case of Thailand."

In another surprising development (for me as much as for those who know I'm challenged with dyslexia and spelling!), aj.Daeng will be the official 'tweeter' for the conference. You can follow tweets @ 2010Boston_Conf.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Struggles in the Anglican Communion

2010-11-02T10:30:00.000+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Struggles in the Anglican Communion: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Led by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

In our Global Christianity course on October 27th, we had the opportunity to hear from Reverend Ian Douglas, now the Bishop of the Diocese of Connecticut within the Episcopal Church USA. Reverend Douglas is also a former faculty member at the Episcopal Divinity School right across the river from us at Boston University. He brought his academic and ministerial experience to the discussion of global Anglicanism.

The 38 episcopate structured churches and several extra provincial churches that share a common history are loosely connected as the Anglican Communion, which together is the 3rd largest Christian group after Orthodox churches and Roman Catholics. In Reverend Douglas’ discussion of the last 100 years of Anglicanism to the present, a common thread of tension arose: the struggle to maintain the integral unity of the Communion within the diversity of independently administered episcopate churches—between the particular and the universal, the local and the global.

Our discussion centered on some of the issues that cause tension within the Anglican Communion. Some of most divisive concerns center on gender and sexuality: the ordination of women, and the inclusion of gay and lesbian into the church, including the ordination of openly gay and lesbian men and women. We quickly noted that churches within the Anglican Communion, even within episcopates, sometimes move in completely opposite directions on these important issues: for example the ordination of Reverend Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire enflamed controversy both in the Episcopal Church USA, as well as in churches across the globe, particularly in Nigeria, home to a sizable proportion of the world’s Anglicans.

One of the participants in our discussion had regularly attended an Episcopal church in New England. He shared that his church was extremely conservative on the issues of the ordination of women and did not condone gay and lesbian partnerships. However, this church belongs to a diocese that is open and inclusive. When Reverend Gene Robinson was ordained, some in that church left the Communion altogether. They left not because of what was happening locally but because there was no way to enforce uniformity on the issue globally. The church that remained made a compromised to with the diocese to maintain a different theological perspective on gender and inclusion.

We discussants asked ourselves if the structure of Anglican administration allows for pragmatism and patience with regard to theological differences. Brad noted that pragmatism or compromise may not be able to stop large schisms, since defections over the issue of women and gay and lesbians are disproportionately large in the ‘global south.’

Despite bitter disagreement on the full inclusion of persons in the church because of varying views on gender, we discussed how Anglicans have come together to work against racism and Apartheid in South Africa, for example. The Reverend Desmond Tutu has said he had the whole of the Anglican Communion behind him in his struggle. We wondered if in our lifetimes we would see Anglicans rally so unanimously against sexism, or homophobia. We left reflecting on how the tension of diversity and unity play out along the important questions of who can be fully included in the body of Christ, not only for the Anglican Communion, but also for our own churches.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: The appeal and growth of "Marginal" churches

2010-10-25T22:27:00.001+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: The appeal and growth of "Marginal" churches: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Led by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

Our topic of discussion in Global Christianity for October 20 was ‘Marginal’ Christianity. Our main textbook for the course, The Atlas of Global Christianity, uses the term ‘marginal’ to describe Christian groups who are distinct from Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant groups because of divergent views on commonly accepted confessions such as the Trinity and the person of Jesus Christ, or if the authority of a leader or another scripture supersedes these confessions.

Our guest speaker Matthew Bowman provided a compelling history over the last 100 years on the second largest marginal Christian group, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS, is the largest faction of the group commonly referred to as Mormons). Mr. Bowman focused our attention on the changing policies of the LDS church that made global expansion possible. He emphasized a shift from a policy of ‘the gathering’ - where the Kingdom of God was envisioned as a new Zion and followers gathered together in Utah - to reforms that encouraged expansion, such as building new temples, a lifting of the ban on priesthood from males of African descent, the policy of ‘correlation’ extending connections to churches outside Utah headquarters, and a call to engage in missions abroad for young men. These changes allowed the LDS church to expand globally.

Demographically speaking, marginal Christians, although small in number, have experienced extraordinary growth rates worldwide. Among the groups we discussed were Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Unification church led by Reverend Moon (sometimes called the Moonies), and The Family International (or Children of God) initiated by David Berg.

Although none in our group had any interpersonal contact with marginal Christians, many of us expressed an interest in learning more about these groups and what attracts followers to them. “When I first learned about them as a young Christian,” Sam said, “their odd beliefs made me take a step back from investigating these movements. When I entered academia, their oddness instead drew me to them and to studying the circumstances of their historical and social development.”

The main questions for us trying to understand why some marginal Christians are growing at such a rapid pace: what might be some of the factors that account for growth? What would make conversion so appealing? One postulation is each group makes an unequivocal truth claim about what it means to be the truly Christian. This confidence and conviction might be an important attraction for many people. Sam observed that within a world of globalization and post-modernity, where identity and belief are so fractured and unstable, the conviction of marginal groups may offer stability in the midst of change and volatility.

Another factor we discussed was the communal solidary joining a marginal church or movement provides. Precisely because of belief in a unique truth claim, adherents may feel particularly special. Members may have a deep sense belonging and commonality with other members. The community looks out for each other more than other Christian groups might, just from being, for example, Presbyterian, or Roman Catholic. This does impose a certain moral rigor and limitation on people who belong to the community. Further, in some cases, there is more emphasis on common life, or belonging, than in believing the same things—which might be characterized in Mormonism. Mr. Bowman pointed this out as an ‘orthopraxy.’ Further, Sam proposed that this might be because of the intellectual freedom provided within Mormonism. It is uniquely postmodern in this way, and lends itself to absorbing others and allowing for a more communal existence without the rigors of extremely enforced intellectual tethers.

Globalization and post-modern strains on firm identities related to family and sexuality, such as the changing ideas of family, the emancipation of women, the sexual revolution and the decline of traditional marriage, also made for interesting discussion. Isaac pointed out the importance of family in the Unification Church, which is a major religious movement where he’s from in South Korea. For both the LDS and the Unification Church, a proper and blessed marriage and children in very ‘traditional’ bent are very important and made sacred and essential to salvation. A harking back to more ‘traditional’ values and making the hetero-sexual marriage union sacred could be a factor in their growth. At the same time young women are leaving Mormonism in North America in alarming numbers (some estimate a defection rate of 75%). Where Mormons and the Unification church went in one direction on family and sexuality, the Family International shows a different orientation completely. The Family, in quite opposite fashion, has embraced the sexual revolution. This church has also made sexuality sacred, but sees sexual relations with many (heterosexual) partners as a way to enhance one’s relationship with Christ, and even to minister to others.

We left our discussion thinking further about not only the appeal and growth of marginal Christians but also how these groups are adapting to new challenges. We pushed ourselves to better understand their unique claims to truth and their struggle within competing Christian assertions of authenticity.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Learning from the Orthodox tradition

2010-10-19T22:23:00.000+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Learning from the Orthodox tradition: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Led by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

On the week of October 13th in the class on Global Christianity, Father Luke Veronis from Holy Cross Seminary gave a guest lecture on the Orthodox Church history and the impact on Orthodox missions, especially in the past century.

If we paint the history of Christianity in terms of broad strokes, one of the dominant colors would be the demographic shift of Christianity to the ‘global South’ in the last 100 years, a shift that has brought Christian growth in areas of the world where the gospel had no foothold a century ago. But the story of the Orthodox churches would be a counter stroke of a different color. Historically, the Orthodox churches are the oldest Christian traditions. They have a rich spiritual history that shaped early Christianity and the monastic traditions, and as far as missions go, they also have had many missionary champions. However, persecution, repression, and immigration have threatened many Orthodox traditions. This past century has witnessed the multiplying of such treats, through communist oppression in the former Soviet Union and other communist states, the repression and immigration across the Middle East, and the genocide committed against the Armenian people. But it is also a story of survival and resurgence, and hope for the future in other places that have opened up to newfound religious freedoms.

This counter story is all the more disheartening given the widespread lack of knowledge about Orthodoxy among many Christians. Indeed, several participants in our discussion group had not known of the Orthodox churches until this course. The learning experience has been a pleasant surprise. Some of the students expressed an appreciation for the mystical tradition of theosis and the profound encounter with God as mystery within the Orthodox traditions. In our discussion, Teasoeb contrasts this sense aptly: “I think the Orthodox have different, even alluringly mysterious liturgical styles, and although they seem to accept anyone who comes, they definitely do not expose their interior liturgical life like Western bodies do.”

Many in our discussion group were also intrigued by the Orthodox approaches to missions. Father Luke’s lecture stressed that at their best Orthodox models for missions were very respectful of local culture; the pace of missions was slow as to adapt to local culture and language, as well as built a strong base for local leadership … all this in a missionary tradition that flourished long before fervent Catholic and Protestant missions began. It seems that one of the Orthodox models for spreading the gospel was one of patience. Persecution, repression and the minority status of many churches (we can see this at the fall of the Byzantine empire, and more recently of communism), did cause many churches to retreat into a kind of survival mode. Father Luke proposed this may be a reason why many Orthodox churches lost touch with their missionary traditions.

One student, Myung Eun, remarked on their very different style of evangelism: “the Orthodox tend to evangelize people in a different way than Westerners. They do not go forward to evangelize people in the same strong or forceful manner. In Korea many Christian churches have grown in the last hundred years, but there is only one Orthodox church. The Orthodox churches don't use any “marketing” as other churches do to bring people in."

Some in our group were more cautious than others about the Orthodox version of history with regards to missions. Bruce and Jeff pointed out that the Orthodox may see themselves as the ‘underdogs’ of history compared to the Western churches. From this perspective they can differentiate themselves from the more extreme forms of Christian imperialism and cultural insensitivity.

Nevertheless, we could agree that Protestants and Catholics alike can learn much from the patience, the strong sense of continuity with ancient Christian tradition, the rich mystical theology, and the perseverance of the Orthodox churches.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Salvation in the African context

2010-10-12T22:20:00.001+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Salvation in the African context: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Led by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

The guest lecture for Global Christianity this week was Dr. Nimi Wariboko, who gave a general overview of African cultural and religious framework, and went on to discuss independent church movements in Africa and how they positively contextualize the gospel – resulting in high church growth. Two broad movements among independents are Pentecostal – Charismatic churches, and African Initiated Churches or African Independent Churches (AICs). In their own ways, both preach a message of concrete blessing, transformation and salvation for people in this lifetime. The focus on material blessing is sometimes called ‘prosperity gospel,’ a phrase almost exclusively used by those who find it in some way suspect. Our discussions centered on how to understand and evaluate a concept of salvation that emphasizes the present in African context.

We found Dr. Wariboko’s lecture very helpful since he put the preaching of so-called ‘prosperity gospel’ within the preview of an African framework. On one level, religion pervades all of life. Meaning, religion in Africa is neither isolated nor compartmentalized chronologically – postponing salvation into the future or afterlife. Neither can it be put in a separate ‘private’ sphere or emotion. Religion in general and Christianity by extension permeates the whole life of the believer, very much inclusive of physical and material existence. In this way, the Koreans in our discussion noted, a view of religion as integrated into all parts of life might not be so different than some Korean churches, particularly Full Gospel churches that are within the global family of the Pentecostal - Charismatic movement.

On another level, a ‘prosperity gospel’ represents hope that God can transform lives and liberate people in the here-and-now. This hope is an important message for people in deep economic, social, and even physical turmoil, as many people might struggle with poverty, disease, and the reality and consequences of war. We found an understanding of salvation that is holistic often rings true. It is especially attractive as African Christians also may focus on transformation of all the earth, humanity, animal life, and the restoration of all of nature.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Protestant-led ecumenical movements

2010-10-05T22:16:00.000+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Protestant-led ecumenical movements: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Lead by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

Our discussion this week centered on Protestantism over the last hundred years within the broader context of Global Christianity. The term ‘Protestant’ includes churches within what are often referred to as ‘mainline’ denominations. These churches have roots in the Reformation (including Lutheran, Reformed, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist). Within Protestantism two important tensions surfaced: denominational division (both between mainline traditions and internal break-offs within a tradition), and the ecumenical movements of the past century initiated between Protestant churches. It became evident in our discussion that these tensions can be viewed as challenges or opportunities for renewal.

Historically the ecumenical movement began with Protestant churches as much for practical reasons as for theological commitment to Christian unity. The extensive complexity denominational divisions present head-scratching challenges for missions when several denominations ‘compete’ to present the gospel. It also threatens the long-term sustainability of small congregations of Protestant Christians coexisting in proximity but administered under different denominations. Ecumenical cooperation has the advantage of presenting a united front of Christian unity. It worked well in regions with small Christians populations where no one denomination dominates, such as North India and Thailand, where various churches pooled resources and united.

In our discussion group, however, few knew about Protestant led ecumenical movements, and few experienced an ecumenical spirit within their churches. Dong Gyun expressed that in his Korean Presbyterian heritage there are many internal struggles and many break-offs. Maintaining a distinct identity overshadows the desire for unity. Jin, who is also Korean but a Methodist, pointed out that his tradition remained united in Korea, and much emphasis is placed on staying together within that church, and not so much on communion with other Protestant denominations. The ecumenical spirit was so far removed from Jeff’s local congregation that he questioned whether Protestantism should be distinguished as a group for their ecumenical efforts.

The gulf between the lack of ecumenical awareness and engagement on a local level, and the reality of the ecumenical councils within Protestant churches may be explained by the fact that ecumenical movements seem to have taken place among higher levels of church leadership, far away from the pews. In the book Boundless Faith, Robert Wuthnow draws attention to the centrality of the local congregation rather than the commitment to denomination administration in the lives of American churchgoers. Dong Gyun felt that was right in many ways for it seemed to him that local pastors have a huge influence on whether or not a given congregation will engage in ecumenism. We were left with the important question of whether ecumenism could be more powerful if engaged from the ‘ground-up’ – from the local worshippers to the denominational leadership – and what consequences that might have for Protestants.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Christian growth in Africa

2010-10-03T23:16:00.000+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Christian growth in Africa: Editor’s note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Lead by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

Our discussion in Global Christianity this week was launched from Dr. Todd Johnson’s presentation centered on the resurgence of Christianity in the global South. As Christians become more represented in the Global South – a trend that moves to better represent the distribution of the world’s population – two high growth areas of Christianity caught our attention. One is the growth of what The Atlas of Global Christianity terms “Marginal” Christians, a category that includes such organizations as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. Jin and Jeff questioned whether they be called Christian at all, even if the term ‘marginal’ serves as a qualifier. Although it is not an ideal term, it does capture the viewpoint that many more ‘traditional’ Christians hold. Jeff added to this standpoint: “It seems to me that Mormons are about as Christian as Muslims are Christian. Both have respect for Christ, but both insist that further prophetic revelation was necessary.”

The second area of Christian growth that caught our attention was Africa. Africa is the continent that has experienced the most significant growth in the Global South, particularly within the independent African Initiated Churches (AIC’s). Jin was quick to ask us what we think of the character of the African churches. To Jin, it seems that many African churches, especially AIC’s are a little different; aside from dealing with social concerns such as HIV/AIDS, they seem more interested in spiritual power and healing, and prefer more charismatic liturgy than in any other region of the world. It does seem that although they may have their own flavor, the message they preach, for example in spiritual healing, is inspired by accounts of such healings and exorcisms found in the New Testament. “I don't see a problem with the way they are exercising societal Christian practice,” Jeff suggested. “It seems in keeping with Christian history and tradition.” If the language African churches use follows the Bible and is Christ centered, what is it about some African Churches that might sound illegitimate? Can we identify what is behind our discomfort?

It does seem that the African context is rich in animistic traditions, and when Christianity moves in, it has to adapt to local cosmology. One question to ask is whether we can accept that some Christians believe in demons and spirits? Or should all Christians adopt a “western” cosmology? As Dong Gyun commented: “compared to the West, which is more rational and fond of systemization, Africans may have a cosmology that is more attuned to spirits and demons that others may see as unchristian.” He went on to draw from his experience: “Once you become a Christian in Korea, you cannot invoke spirits or pay heed to those practices of the past … There isn't any mixing of folk religion.”

I asked everyone what they would do if a woman came up to them convinced they were plagued by harmful spirits. Interestingly, despite all our reservations, not one of us thought that asking her to stop believing in her experiences would help her achieve spiritual wholeness. Jin shared that a similar episode happened to him. “It's a bit hard for me to discuss it, because when I share it, many people think I am weird. But as it is mentioned in the Bible, there are demons. I would like to do what Jesus did, and help her get rid of what is plaguing her.” I also shared that if I had been presented with this scene three years ago, I would have reacted by wanting to reconstruct the woman’s worldview. However, today I would be more open to meeting her somewhere closer to her own belief system.

Is that not, then, a strength of Christianity, and of the African churches that emphasize healing, to meet Africans where they are? Perhaps that is why in the last few decades Africans have been so successful at presenting the good news to other Africans because they can meet them where they are and bring about a sense of spiritual wholeness.

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Religious Freedom and African Christianity

2010-10-01T23:09:00.000+07:00

The Changing Contours of World Mission and Christianity: Religious Freedom and African Christianity:
Editor's note: The following post arises from small group reflections from The Rise of Global Christianity, 1910–2010, taught by Dr. Todd Johnson
at Boston University in the Fall of 2010. Lead by doctoral students, the small groups discussed lectures given by Christian scholars in various disciplines, including significant changes that have occurred in global Christianity over the past 100 years.

In our Global Christianity course this week we were fortunate to have a guest lecturer, Dr. Brian Grim, who spoke on the measurement of religious freedom in countries across the globe. Dr. Grim showed rankings in terms of social attitudes and government restrictions that pertain to religious freedom, broadly understood. Some of the countries that ranked in both extremes, high and low, were surprising to some of us. There are two South Korean master’s students in our discussion group. One student, Jin, was both interested and shocked that South Korea did not get a more severe rating. Although South Korea constitutionally guarantees freedom of religion, some of the Christians he knows experience some social pressures. Furthermore, Jin said that it was difficult to negotiate his pacifist beliefs with mandatory military service. Another South Korean, Dong Gyun, noted that there are many subtleties to religious freedom to consider. In our discussion we noted that although minorities may experience significant degrees of social pressurefrom family or friends, such as in South Korea where Christians are steadily increasing in number, the pressure is not strictly speaking restrictive or violent. There were also countries that ranked worse than we had expected, such as Indonesia. Most of us took for granted the common perception that Indonesia is a prime example of a moderate Islamic country – in fact it did not rank as low as we had anticipated.
The second major topic of discussion was about African Christianity. Africa is the continent that has experienced the most sizable Christian growth in the last 100 years. It was interesting to ask if people were aware of the growing Christian churches in Africa. Dong and Jin said that reading about African in regard to its religious diversity, as well as statistics, was new to them. Dong Gyun also made an interesting observation: “It seems to me that African churches are largely charismatic that are geared toward the religious experience.” I made the point that is it easy for us to categorize new churches in Africa as charismatic. Yet many of these churches that we regard as charismatic may actually be under the umbrella of ‘independent’ African Initiated Churches (AICs). Although AICs emphasize spiritual healing, lively music and liturgy, they may not be denominationally Pentecostal. One of the issues we kept returning to in our discussion of Africa was our presuppositions about these churches. Do we see the African churches as being more socially conservative than in America, for example? Jeff, who is from a Methodist congregation, says this is the standing assumption among many in his circles and a cause for concern, especially regarding the ordination and role of women. How, we asked, should we engage these different African Christians? As Jeff suggested, “I believe it is better that we engage African churches; so long as they strive to maintain a connection to the scriptures and the early church, we can still have a common ground from which to start discussions. That should serve as a decent basis for dialogue.”

Visakha Bucha Day 2010 at Doi Suthep

2010-05-31T22:07:00.012+07:00

Every year on the eve of Visakha Bucha Day, thousands of monks and lay Buddhist in the Chiang Mai province make a 13 kilometer walk uphill to Doi Suthep Temple. Visakha Bucha (sometimes transliterated as Visaka Puja) is the most revered day in Thai Buddhism. It celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and passing of the Buddha. This merit making pilgrimage has become increasingly popular. It seems to have morphed into an initiation rite for first year university students. Especially noticeable is the fraternity among young men who sing manly songs, grunt, and encourage each other along the way. At a leisurely pace it can take anywhere between 4-6 hours to get to the top. Of course there are food and drink stalls, foot massage, and tents where one can receive blessings from monks and make donations to temples all along the way. The full moon and candles light the path. This year, my walking partner Jonas kept me motivated the whole way up. By the time we got to the top the procession was just making its final round. This short video gives a little taste of the celebration.

A Quick Stopover in Taipei

2010-05-13T17:27:00.012+07:00

A few weeks ago I made a short stopover in Taipei, Taiwan on my way back to Thailand for a quick visit and to say hi to a couple I know who work on the island.

Besides a few of the temples, public spaces and parks, the aesthetic of the city - crowded, with functional architecture and drab, if any, decor - is not too exciting. So on a Sunday when most people take a day off their hectic and packed East Asian schedules, the spaces around museums and parks make for some absorbing people-watching. It seems that everyone who can be out, is out. Around several of the places we visited, packs of teenagers practiced their dance moves and competed for space with the yellow shirt Falun Gong (or Dafa) followers meditating. The photo above shows teenage girls staking out there spot next to Falun Gong followers, who were making their cause known especially to Chinese mainlanders visiting tourist hotpots. Today, May 13, is the "World Falun Dafa Day" set aside for the religious movement to commemorate the spreading of the message to the public. Below are a few more photos from the trip.

A Weekend with the Venerable Dhammananda

2010-03-30T15:56:00.028+07:00

The Venerable Dhammananda is charismatic, warm, well-spoken and leaves a strong impression on those who've met her - and has the distinction of being the first Theravada bhikkhuni (female monk) in Thailand. A few weeks ago I went down to Nakhon Patom to spend time at her center at Wat Songdhammakalyani. As it was a slightly more stressful time than usual, this weekend retreat was perfect timing. I went with Brooke Schedneck, a friend from Harvard Divinity School days who is in Thailand doing field research for her dissertation (both of us pupils of our beloved Don Swearer). Brooke is interested in Ven. Dhammananda as a meditation teacher to foreigners. I am interested in Ven. Dhammananda's thoughts on on gender and inter-religious dialogue. I probably would not have made it a weekend-long venture, but Brooke has done so many meditation retreats she made it easier for me to deal with the simple monastic life of hard beds and waking up before dawn.

I first met and interviewed Ven. Dhammananda in 2007 at the International Conference on Religion and Culture in Chiang Mai where I presented a paper on Buddhist art and gender. In our first conversation we discussed gender in the writings of Dr. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh for several minutes before I (finally! gasp ...) realized Dhammananda was Dr. Kabilsingh before her monastic metamorphosis! Same person, different name. This slightly embarrassing episode served our discussion well. As we both noted, my momentary non-recognition reinforced a point we were making: ordination visually removes the easy markers of gender - a face without make-up, shaved hair, robes concealing sexed contours. Dr. Kabilsingh was for over 30 years a professor of philosophy and religion at Thammasat University, where she wrote the bulk of her many works on, among other things, Buddhist texts, commentary, and gender. But her commitment to monastic life can be seen anchored even further back than academia, to her extraordinary childhood as daughter of Ven. Voramai Kabilsingh, the first Thai bhikkhuni, ordained in the Taiwanese Mahayana line. Her life was saturated with chanting and meditation. Her mother converted their home into Wat Songdhammakalyani (literally, the temple of women who uphold the dhamma). As a young girl she says she could recite whole chants by rote memory "like a parrot." Life as an academic allowed her to explore the meaning of what she memorized as a child. She told us she waited until her youngest child passed 25 years of age before she followed her mother's footsteps and ordained. But going further than her groundbreaking mother, she sought a Theravada ordination through the newly revived bhikkhuni tradition in Sri Lanka. A proper Theravada ordination would give her a greater chance of recognition in the Thai Sangha (the official ruling hierarchy of Thai Buddhism), and would better situate her to pass on the bhikkhuni lineage at home.

Brooke and I arrived and quickly got into the rhythm of the weekend events. We were plopped in the middle of a training session for the center's core volunteers. On the whole they were nice and helpful - presumably that is part of the training! as they prepared to take some of the workload off Ven. Dhammananda and the other samaneri (female novices). We skipped the sessions on temple rules, taking care of guests, and how to give tours of the grounds - I for one needed rest and was desperate for a shower (the first of three that day) after an overnight bus and the inferno-like heat of Nakhon Patom at noon in the height of hot season. One interesting session was on Visualization. Put in simple terms: how you 'visualize' an object or problem can determine your response and approach to it. A bit of experiential learning helped to demonstrate the point. Four of us were asked to visualize a volunteer sitting in a chair as a heavy stone. When it came time to lift the woman from the chair with our fingers, we couldn't make it happen. But when we closed ours eyes and visualized the woman as a feather, we lifted her up easily. It worked! The use of Visualization meditation and mental training exemplifies the many ways Ven. Dhammananda draws from Tibetan Buddhism. More importantly she draws from the Tibetan tradition her own understanding of the Medicine Buddha. Ven. Dhammananda has a local reputation as a healer and had a distinctive vision of the Medicine Buddha fleshed in blue (top photo).

We were encouraged to join the morning alms rounds. I wasn't sure what to expect, or if that many people would give food to female monks, but they are known and taken care of by the nearby villagers. They also know she is a strict vegetarian, thank goodness, because I didn't want to feel obliged to eat seafood or something worse at 7am. The samaneri giving the blessing is adorable (top-right), she loves to touch and talk to the alms-givers. Of course in good Thai-time some lay people rushed up on motorbikes moments before we entered the gates. That seems also routine. Bottled water, blessed by Ven. Dhammananda, with the blue Medicine Buddha logo (left), are distributed to alms-givers in need of healing.

We were joined later by a documentary film maker from The Buddhist Channel in France. The three of us went everywhere Dhammananda went, which was great. She received an invitation to the chanting / fund-raising event by the abbot of Wat Luang Por Sot, an unfinished but huge Dhammakaya temple nearby. The abbot supports Dhammananda and the revival of the bhikkhuni line in Thailand, but he is limited by the constraints placed on him by the Thai Sangha. He showed his support by inviting her to present gifts to the male monks at the ceremony. Of course it wouldn't be a Dhammakaya event without attracting the rich and famous, so there were a few Thai movie stars giving gifts as well! Ven. Dhammananda sits in a special place (left). We were behind her with the mae chii (nuns who dress in white, shave their hair and follow 8 precepts) and other female laity dressed in white, and we were escorted to the 'VIP' section for lunch.

Ven. Dhammananda interprets the Thai Sangha's refusal to recognize the new bhikkhuni lineage as mixed. The lack of legitimation by the national hierarchy leaves a great deal of room for intellectual freedom as a public figure and autonomy to make decisions without having to answer to the Thai leadership. Last year, 30 women joined in a 9 day temporary ordination. They expect at least 50 this year, while busy figuring out how to house them all and constructing a new building for future growth.

It is no wonder that Ven. Dhammananda has become an important Buddhist voice. Her belief in her gender equality, dialogue with Buddhist and other faith traditions, inviting presence, command of English, and reputation as a healer, attract seekers and scholars alike. It was a much needed retreat for me, and to paraphrase a popular saying from one of her books, a calming of my monkey mind.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year 2009

2009-12-21T15:52:00.004+07:00

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

2009-10-31T15:50:00.007+07:00

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

2009-09-24T10:55:00.002+07:00

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

2009-08-31T23:04:00.015+07:00

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

2009-07-31T19:53:00.026+07:00

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

2009-07-02T01:09:00.031+07:00

"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

2009-06-23T19:59:00.018+07:00

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

2009-05-31T23:20:00.030+07:00

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

2009-05-25T13:07:00.029+07:00

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

2009-05-06T16:50:00.012+07:00

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

2009-03-31T23:21:00.013+07:00

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.

Ecumenical Retreat 2009 in Nakhon Patom, Thailand

2009-02-26T23:59:00.002+07:00

Last month senior students and staff joined an annual Ecumenical Retreat between various Protestant and Catholic Christian theological schools throughout Thailand. It was mostly meant for students to promote mutual understanding and cooperation between Christians groups. We were happy to have groups from all across the denominational spectrum. The Seventh-Day Adventists from Mission College did not join, or come to 'observe' as is sometimes preferred over officially participating. The organizers had spend much time and effort to get them involved last year, so that was a disappointment. Other than that drawback, it was a success. Some time was spent in conference style lectures and discussions. And of course prayer and meditation. The retreat was hosted at lovely grounds of the Catholic guesthouse and retreat center, Baan Phu Waan.We also had the chance to visit some of the different orders and ministries in the surrounding area. One was a house of sisters from the Capuchin tradition. The nuns do not take drop in visitors, so people coming with prayer petitions speak into the wood cylinder below the picture of St. Clare while spinning it so the sound goes to a nun on the other side.

The sisters made a special exception for us and came out to the visiting hall to greet us. Still, we were separated by bars. We didn't quite know what to make of this at first. They knew we would ask about it, and they quickly explained it was a symbolic separation - and protection - between them and the world, holy and unholy, ordinary and sacred spaces. This photo is with the head mother. Some of the nuns had been there for decades, some were just coming in, as young as 14 years old. We were also interested to know that a good majority of the Catholics we met were from the Karen ethnic minority. It's quite something that these women are willing to go into the order with little contact with the world and dedicate their lives to prayer and meditation.
On our way there and back we made a number of excursions, I'll just mention one: Above, is The Church of Saint Joseph, the oldest Catholic Church in Thailand, a lovely yellow church facing the Chao Phraya river in Ayutthaya.

2009 New Year in Singapore

2009-01-27T20:39:00.028+07:00

So I spent a few days in Singapore to pass the new year. This was my first time, and I'm glad to have also met up with friends of friends and my housemate Jloh and her family. This picture is with the "durian dome." Doesn't it look like a huge durian?
The diverse cultures that makes Singapore special was really something for such a small place. Although the majority of people are from Chinese backgrounds, they really try not to give preference to one ethnic group or language. I like to navigate the diversity through sacred spaces and, of course, food!
Here is a Chinese temple, and the rubbing of the belly of a Bodhisattva for good luck. Naturally, with the coming new year, the temples were crazy full of people praying, giving offerings, and burning incense.

This is a statue of the Hindu God/dess Kali in little India doing her destroyer thing.
The little place I stayed in was a family owned spot (they were so warm!) near Bugis station in the Malay-Muslim side of town. Right down the street was this beautiful mosque (below).

There seems to be two big things to do in Singapore: eat and shop. Now every big city has a variety of food choices. But compared to other cities in the region, Singapore excels and is unique for the restaurants and food joints that specialize in and master a specific dish. And locals go out to the many restaurants and eateries to eat a particular dish or two. It goes something like: "We'll go to this place in Chinatown for the best chicken rice," and "To this noodle stand for the best seafood soup," "let's go to Zam Zam's for the best moktabar and biryani." (Which was fortunately right in my neighborhood so I went twice. As for the chicken rice, I tried a few pieces, the best I could do, and yes, it was amazing! I decided to emphasize the 'flexible' in my flexitarianism and be let by locals for this trip. Below are JLoh's pics of Zam Zam's biryani, and Chinese rice chicken, veggies and sauces.)

As for the second big pastime, shopping, well, I'm not a big fan! That IS a problem, since there are more malls and shopping centers crammed into the city than you can imagine. Really. Malls in the lobbies of hotels, malls in the subway, malls every other building! And all as air-conditioned and as interconnected as possible, which after three days made things feel artificial.

I should mention that I was starved for art so Jloh and I went to some decent museums. Notable was a powerful and sober photo commentary by Chien-Chi Chang. One part documented the explosion of 'buying' brides through marriages of Taiwanese men and Vietnamese women. Others included looking at migrant workers in Chinatown New York.

Luckily, the crowds and shopping centered-ness didn't burned me out until just before I left for the airport, so the trip was really fun, and its always nice to meet new people.
Happy New Year to all. Bring in the Year of the Ox!

Christmas in Phang Nga

2009-01-06T23:28:00.034+07:00

My mom, step-dad and I spend the Christmas holidays in Phang Nga bay area and Phuket on the Andaman Sea of Thailand. Phuket was ok, a few nice beaches, very developed and all that; but it was mostly a way for me to get to Phang Nga province and visit some of the gorgeous national parks and hang out in the many mostly Muslim fishing villages and islands.
And to kayak! through the many beautiful collapsed limestone caves. You have to basically lay down to get under some of the small entrances, and you can only do it at the low tide point of the day, but its really a great experience. Above we explore one of the caves. From pictures I've seem of Halong Bay in Vietnam, Ao Phang Nga is Thailand's equivalent with hundreds of limestone islands and formations jutting out of the emerald colored sea. It also has many species of birds, plants, mangroves, and coral formations.
I would definitely recommend a few days, a few weeks if possible, in Phang Nga province. I noticed that there was some boats that take people on day trips from Phuket going just to the Phang Nga park, but it is not worth it; plus the bay is too shallow for them to get into the more interesting parts of the park like the mangrove canals and to get good kayaking in. These two pics are the views from our balcony. Needless to say, I keep the curtains open to watch the sun set and rise.

These are some views from the bay of islands and caves - some of the caves contained ancient paintings.

The people that live in and around the national park are ethnically Javanese or Malay of Islamic faith that migrated to the area as much as two centuries ago. As was the case on the island of Panyi where we stayed for a night (below).

The first thing my mother when we arrived at Ko Phanyi was that it was reminiscent of where we're from, Bonnaca Cay on the Bay Islands of Honduras ... a small Cay with many of the houses on stilts and connected by bridges. Yes, mom! I was a bit homesick and that was part of the point :)

The mosque in the center of Panyi above is one among the many cute and brightly painted ones around Phuket and Phang Nga provinces, familiar sights in the south of Thailand where Islam has a strong presence. Everywhere we stayed on this trip (even when in Singapore for the new year) was within a block of a local mosque. So we could enjoy the solemn yet beautiful Call to Prayer alerting us to new morning, greeting us throughout the day, and welcoming the evenings. Listen to one call to prayer here:

[Listening may require Quicktime plug-in and settings]

Christmas Prison Ministry

2008-12-30T23:36:00.004+07:00

I want to share a day of a special Christmas program at a local prison. Not long before Christmas, and through aj.Chulee, we teamed up with the International Prison Chaplaincy Association to provide a Christmas service for inmates at the Chiang Mai Central Prison for men. We had quite a big group for quite a large production: interactive singing and dancing, caroling, preaching, praying and a dramatic performance (yes, all this, we only had a couple of hours to do it!). It was quite an undertaking. This was the first time I'd been a men's prison, and first time to do prison ministry with such a large group.

For a group of our size, entering layer upon and layer of steel bars involved a fair bit or waiting, confusion, commotion, and guards shouting instructions two feet next to us through hand-held megaphones.

We watched as new prisoners were transported to the prison, like cattle, in the cadged backs of pick-up trucks, like this one below. Part of the delay was waiting for them to get through. When we were finally two layers of bars inside we noticed they had brought in two frightened teenage prisoners who were squatting in the temporary containment cell next to the walkway we had to pass through.

The prison is one contained cage after another, separated by steel, fences, or barbed-wire. Most prisoners are separated by whether they are sentenced or not. Most of the men are in for drugs, many Burmese immigrants, and many are very young men, teenagers even. We were only allowed to see those awaiting sentence - which can take years. Upon entering, we found ourselves in an open but fenced-in hall. Next to the hall was the one open courtyard where prisoners were loafing, playing, making cement in pipe tubes, and washing laundry. They didn't expect to see us, nor could they join in, but those that noticed looked on eagerly. We arrived to find hundreds of prisoners dressed in blue and seated behind tables, awaiting us quietly.

The place was intolerably crowded. The whole building stank of a strong scent of urine and a faint hint of feces. Dust everywhere, from the cement making. Constant noise from banging plactic tubes and guards on loudspeakers every few minutes. I don't need to go on. Thailand is notorious for prisons with terrible living conditions, negligence and mistreatment, and extreme sentences. (This one was not the worst of Thai prisons; there are many movies and books on places far worse: some of you watched Brokedown Palace, or read The Damage Done, or Forget You Had a Daughter about the Bangkok Hilton, or maybe remember the Bridget Jones II prison mixup).

We were happy to have a successful program; we sang our songs, prayed our prayers, and shared food with them. They men smiled widely, sang enthusiastically, were in relatively good spirits. What we did is but put a speck of joy and Christmas cheer into an otherwise dreary prison routine. By the time we left, the men in the courtyard were aware of our presence. They all gathered close to where we would pass to get out, and took in a good look. Even the few western foreign prisoners did it. We may be the only people coming for a long, long time. We hope that those who could join, and those who might have seem us from afar, were uplifted by our program.

Merry Christmas, Thai Aquarium Style

2008-12-27T20:42:00.012+07:00

What is Christmas-time like in Thailand, the land of a thousand Buddha images? Were can you find the Christmas holiday spirit? My family is visiting me for Christmas break, and I had warned that there may not be a whole lot of Christmas-y stuff going on in this Buddhist country. I hadn't spent a Christmas in Thailand, but I thought if Thailand is anything like Cambodia or the surrounding countries I have spend Christmas in, then I was guessing: pretty quiet. Boy, was I completely wrong! We found Christmas celebrated most enthusiastically in, of all places, the Aquarium in the Chiang Mai Zoo! Let me tell you a little of what we found: A big Santa Claus and reindeers greeting us at the entrance to the Aquarium; every one of the staff were wearing red and white Santa hats; inside, Christmas tunes were jingle-belling loudly; and, the best was the Christmas trees, all decorated and with presents, inside the tanks! On Christmas day, the Bangkok Post front page had two employees inside the tanks dressed in Santa Claus gear feeding the fish! I leave you with these images to smile at :)

Merry Christmas, and blessings to all!

Loi Kratong in Chiang Mai, Thailand

2008-11-30T12:22:00.001+07:00

In my neighborhood, when you're awoken at night by what sounds like either the Burmese Army invasion, or another government coup, you know it's Loi Kratong festival time. It's one of the two main festivals in Chiang Mai, and it attracts many people from around the country. One of the main things people do is give an offering to the River Goddess. As a historian friend pointed out, this is actually an old Indian tradition based on the story of Rama who gave a similar offering in the Ramayama--many rivers are considered sacred in India. Thais got the tradition from the Khmer who took on Hinduism. And the offering (a little floaty thing called a kratong) is considered a prayer that washes away your sins. It's ashamed that not too long ago these little prayer boats were made out of plastic! Poor River Goddess, clocking on all that! They've recently campaigned to have the kratongs made of biodegradable materials like coconut husks, palm leaves and flowers. BigA is holding one below:

People also send these kon loi into the sky.

And yes, the fireworks are another part of it. Kids have been blowing their limbs off for years, all in good fun. People throw them off at all hours, and things are especially loud close to the Ping River. I'm not far from it, but far enough away that a good set of earplugs got me through the worst. A colleague living right on the river invited us to her place on the main night. She was so nice, and provided dinner for us. I don't know how she was such a good host, as she said she had barely gotten any sleep in a week from the fireworks going off! Here are some pics from the river. Listen below to the sounds of Loi Kratong at night:

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

Red Tips | If you're visiting Chiang Mai for the Loi Kratong, and are around the Ping River area, bring some good earplugs! The firecrakers and fireworks can get very loud. Although quite fun, it can also can get quite crowded with tourists and Thais visiting from different parts of the country, so you may want to make arrangements in advance. Check out Chiang Mai Hotels for a wide range of options and prices.

Huan Soontaree: Lanna Food & Music

2008-11-27T20:37:00.029+07:00

One of my favorite places to soak in sensuous Lanna Thai culture in Chiang Mai is to enjoy the atmosphere, food and music at Huan Soontaree's restaurant. Huan is local gam muang language for house and Soontaree's, with its big, open-aired spacing and colorful hanging embroidery, is truly an ode to local folklore, decor, cuisine, and music. Khun Soontaree Veechanont is a well-known musician specializing in Lanna folk singing. Opening acts start early evening, and Soontaree regularly goes on around 830-9pm to intone difficult nasal notes in gam muang to an applauding, mostly Thai audience. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of Lanna style music in general, but when Soontaree sings, I just can't get enough! I've even bought several of her albums and always end up singing along with her.

You may also want to enjoy the Lanna puppet show if you're seated downstairs. I prefer to head upstairs since it has better acoustics and an eye level view of the performers. And the show by no means takes away from the quality of the food which is very tasty: the stuffed serpent fish, tom ka guy and penang tofu are just a few excellent dishes.

Khun Soontaree is not only famous for her musical talent, but also for her engagement in Thai politics. The current political crisis is on all of our minds these days, and as I write this, Bangkok's airports are closed due to protests. She speaks out regularly against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin, dangerous political posturing in Chiang Mai, his very supportive home town. She gives a speech in this picture on her wall (above) in front of a caricature of Thaksin devouring the Thai flag. Her old restaurant which was closer to the center of town was actually bombed a few years ago, may be one of the reasons why she moved to this new more remote location up the Ping river.

Whatever your political stance, you can still enjoy her friendly house. If you're as lucky as I have been, you'll be around a night her daughter comes to town. Like her mother, Lanna Commins is also a musician, and has several albums out of fusion folk and pop. Hearing them sing together is quite a treat. We chat with Lanna and Khun Soontaree below (to my left and right).
I leave you with my favorite Soontaree song. I don't speak gam muang, but there's something in there about a Chiang Mai girl and her everyday adventures eating khao soi in the mountains of Doi Pui :) Sabai Sabai ...

[Listening may require Quicktime plug-in and settings]

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

Red Tips Location - Driving directions: Huan Soontaree is located on the west bank of the ping river, north of town. Get on the super highway toward the Ping river. If headed eastward stay left before the bridge to go north up the river (westward go over and under the bridge); go about 5-6km, it will be on your right. Drivers know where it is, just make sure to have them stay or come back and get you later. Phone: Call 053 872 707 if you want to make sure she's on that night.

Super Richy, Meeting a Vishnu Avatar

2008-11-09T22:50:00.006+07:00

Recently I had the chance to meet a flesh and bone Vishnu avatar in Chiang Mai, Thailand. His name is Super Richy, and he says he has been spiritually inclined since childhood and is the avatar - incarnation - of the Hindu God, Vishnu. John B, a friend of mine who teaches Buddhism, was helping him prepare his English for presentations he was invited to give in Germany. Of course when some of us heard he was a well-known meditation teacher and Vishnu avatar, we wanted to meet him at once! John arranged for him to practice his presentation with us. He was so nice to let us listen, ask questions and take pictures.

Despite all the hype about him, he is as humble and soft spoken as they come, and doesn't go around advertising himself as a walking gift from the heavens. What he thrives on is sharing his experiences with meditation and passing on his techniques to those interested in improving their spiritual lives. His book is Super Richy: It's Not Easy to Be Me. He was gracious enough to pose with it above.

Now whether or not one believes in Vishnu avatars and incarnations, it was still great to meet someone like him - a young spiritual (Super)star, who has energized and transformed so many, especially Thai Buddhists. Thank you, Richy, it was great to meet you.

An Island Funeral

2008-10-31T19:28:00.023+07:00

A few years ago my brother and I had the chance to visit Frida Kahlo's house in Mexico City. It was a charming old blue house that belonged to her family before her, a place she she was born, and where she lived and died. In the little blue house was a quote from Frida that really touched me. She said:

"Es un privilegio nacer y morrir en la misma casa."
("It is a privilege to be born and to die in the same house.")

My grandmother had this very privilege. She has the privilege of being born, having lived, and passing her last days in her home, in the land that she loved, the place of her fore-parents, and of her children.

My beloved grandmother, who I lived with through childhood and who I am named after, passed away on September 20, on the Island of Guanaja, Bay Islands, Honduras. She was sitting in her chair, resting, surrounded by family and friends. There was no struggle. No fear. No gasping. Only calm sleep. Her last words were "I'm tired." Now she can rest peacefully.

I've watched every episode of the series Six Feet Under. In the show, as with life in much of the United States and other developed countries, you give your loved one's body over to professionals and they take care of everything for you. The family hardly needs to do a thing but comfort each other, and show up for the funeral. There is something positive to be said about not having to worry about any preparations.

On the Bay Islands however, Death, preparations, funerals, could hardly be more different. On the islands, there are no funeral homes, no professionals to hand things over to. What we have on the islands are friends, family, and few local undertakers who can be called on to help with practical things. Yet there is also something positive to be said for death as experienced in the raw - intimate, present.

Here are some of our experiences dealing with the passing of a loved one. I think it gives a window into how Bay Islanders deal with death and funerals:

After my grandmother died my sister laid beside her on her bed for hours. My sister and my mom also helped dressing her. It was the most natural thing in the world for them.

Many of the little details that need taken care of after any death were arranged for or given by our friends and family: food for the wake, flowers, the casket, even the preservation of the body. On the islands, if you want to preserve your loved one for more than two-three days, what is usually done is to lay them on ice in a box. This is how my grandmother was preserved so that other family could make it to the funeral. I was about to leave for home when she passed, and my uncle and other relatives had to get there as well.

Since there are no funeral homes, the wakes are held at the family house, usually with the ice box on the porch as we did. A family friend offered to prepare Granny's body for us for the viewing - she only does this for close friends and does it as a gift. This has to happen a few hours before the funeral ceremony so the body can defrost a bit. We waited elsewhere as she supervised getting Granny out of the ice box, and prepared the final touches. She did an amazing job. Granny's body looked so natural and nice. We were so appreciative of this kindness.

I spend much of the rest of the time with Granny's body, making sure it was ready. Blotting off the moisture that gathered from her arms. Helping pin fresh flowers on her dress. Covering-up with make-up a few red spots off her neck. Adding a bit more color to her lips and cheeks. I knew I wouldn't choose to see her at the funeral viewing, as is the tradition at the end of the service. These were my last moments with her, tactile, with my hands.

As far as funeral goes it was the most celebratory service I've been to. It wasn't about her potential, or a handful of good things we remember, but a genuine celebration of who she was. She was, in the words of a friend, a pure soul. The service was a celebration of the life she lived in generosity and kindness, her meek and gentle heart. A life that all of us can try to imitate.
My own tribute included Jesus' sermon on the mount, The Beatitudes of Matthew 5 :
"Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth"
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God"
And the text that seems cut out for especially my mother,

"Blessed are those who morn for they will be comforted."

The preacher gave us a bit of a laugh when he said I had stolen his sermon his - he also focused on the Beatitudes! But, he rightly noted that any memory of her must necessarily include these text - because everyone who knew her would agreed they are a mirror of her Christlike character. We can only hope to live a life which can be celebrated this way at our own funerals.

For the burial we loaded ourselves on a friends Shrimp boat and steamed a short distance to the main island. About two centuries old, many of the first British settlers are buried on the graveyard above. Her family, the Kirkconnell's, lay around the big tree on the hill to the left.

Burials on the islands are fairly simple, a few words and a scripture usually from the Psalms, a prayer, and then every one joins in singing hymns. We sing as the casket is lowered into a hole in the earth six feet under, is then covered completely, and finally adorned with flowers. Thus we said our goodbye's to a beloved member of the community, a faithful friend, mother, and grandmother. She lives in our hearts and inspires us to be better people. May she Rest in Peace.

Political Crisis in Thailand, What Will Happen? (No Worries, aj.D is Safe)

2008-09-06T17:43:00.013+07:00

Let me say a word to those of you who are following the news and are worried about me in Thailand. I'm watching closely, but from the comfort of pro-Samak/Thaksin Chiang Mai in the North. Meanwhile, 500 kilometers away, Bangkok is under a state of emergency. (Never mind that they found a bomb in the anti-Samak PAD office in Chiang Mai. It didn't detonate.) I've learned enough about Thai politics to know this is part of the system of a fledgling democracy working itself out of corruption, etc. It's part of the process (now on the 19th constitution, as many coup d'états).

What are my political pundit peeps predicting? If Thailand follows its previous pattern, and there is more bloodshed, there will be another coup. What is the point of taking out a corrupt Prime Minister 2 years ago only to replace him with a so-called 'puppet'? The story defies western ideas because it is an unlikely loose alliance of a 'pro-democracy' movement and something that starts with 'm' and ends with 'y'. Those who know how revered it is know what I mean. This article has a more exhaustive take on possible future scenarios. The article concludes:
"There is no obvious way out of this impasse, and none of the above scenarios is a clear recipe for lasting peace. Thailand is polarized into two sides - those who ardently support Mr Thaksin and his allies, and those who detest them and refuse to countenance the idea of them in power. Until a compromise is reached, the rift in Thai society is likely to continue."
If not, then perhaps another coup, or a 'people's coup,' as many call it? or another government? some minor compromise? ... and the cycle goes on, and on.

How does this effect me directly, might you ask? Well so far, the family that owns my local vegetarian restaurant closed up for a few weeks to join the protests in Bangkok. Other than that, not much!

An interesting time to be in Thailand. I will keep you posted.

(Speaking of politics, I'm watching closely the US election ... between the Hillary-Obama rift, and not picking her for VP, along with the Palin choice, which I could see coming, well, let's see where things go ...)

Football Fellowship; D wins Best Player?!

2008-08-30T21:52:00.021+07:00

Football fun.
A few weeks ago, one of our students who works in sports ministry organized a mini-football (soccer) tournament to help build relationships between teachers and students. I love football, it's just part of growing up in the Caribbean and Latin America, so I was one of the teachers who joined in the play.

Play is a divine gift, and I opened with a prayer of thanksgiving and for our play to bring us just a bit closer to each other.

Although the games were light spirited and fun, there was still hefty competition. These girls were really tough! And it seems to me it's no good if you play without getting some bruises--and I got kicked instead of the ball more than once in the shin. Our team got second place. Due, I think to a poor referee decision that caused us to tie instead of win the final game. Another, perhaps unfortunate, part of growing up around football in Latin America is that your team never 'looses' but always gets 'cheated.' When your team wins, it is always fair. Ah. The emotions of the beautiful game! Please, bear with my fanaticism! try see it as charming folly if you can.

As for my own playing skills, all I can do is wait up front and kick the ball or pass it to someone who has an opening. The simple job of a striker! It worked. I managed two assists and two goals--one goal, believe it or not, with my left foot. I suppose because of my willingness to play, my fanatical passion, along with the goals and the assists, the students voted me Best Player of the tournament. Here the students and I receive our awards. Thanks to all, and that you Anthony for organizing everything. It was great to have non-classroom fellowship.

Spiritual Retreat on Doi Suthep Mountain

2008-08-08T11:39:00.017+07:00

I've been doing quite a bit of hiking lately around the many mountains and lovely forests that envelope Chiang Mai. The picture above was taken by David on the way up Doi Suthep mountain a few weeks ago were discovered that the sky, often full of smog, was the clearest we'd ever seen! We just had to take in the view. (That day we also discovered that my not-so-young car can make it up the steep mountains! ... good girl.)
I recently went up to national cabins with my colleagues on a meditation retreat, just 150 meters uphill from the Doi Suthep temple. The picture above is my walking meditation in the spirit of the forest-monk traditions of Thailand.

Incidentally, our spiritual retreat was held the same weekend as the beginning of the Buddhist Lent. All morning the faithful made their walk up the 300 plus flights of stairs with flowers to place on Buddha images.
The monks were chanting and the temple bells were ringing, tapped by the constant flow of the faithful into the temple. At the same time, 150 meters up the mountain, we were singing Taizé Christian songs between contemplative silences. Our music and singing, along with the bells and the monk-chants, made for a surprisingly pleasant cacophony of spiritual sounds.

Listen to the spiritual cacophony by playing both parts at once
(above Taizé 'Alleluia,' and below chant of 'The Three Refuges')

[Listening may require Quicktime plug-in and settings]

Laos Highway up to the Border with China

2008-07-29T17:04:00.007+07:00

Is that aj.D doing an interview in a hut in the middle of Laos? Why, yes. Let me tell you, it's hard to resist an invitation to go to the friendly and relaxed Laos when much of the transportation is paid for. A few weeks ago a friend and colleague ask me to go to Laos to help research the economic and social impact of the newly completed highway from China to the Mekong River across from Chiang Khong, Thailand. Other than to look pretty (ha ha), my job was to help with phrasing questions that would not scare people away from talking about sensitive topics. The others in our six person team had more essential roles and we had a Chinese and a Lao student who could help with language as well.

We started off the trip with a night in low key Chiang Rai, and went straight to the Night Bazaar, which I totally love. The next day we awoke to start our journey all the way to the Chinese border. Thanks to Pornsak getting us our own van we made it to Chiang Khong in no time through a scenic route I hadn't been on before. This was my second time to Chiang Khong, and I have to say I really enjoy being on the Mekong. The sign in the pic let us know we were at the GATE TO INDO - CHINA. From there we took a taxi boat across the mighty Mekong River to Hui Xai (or Bokeo).
Above is a view of the boats from the Thai side sporting the Thai flag, and below a view from the Lao side.
From Hui Xai Pornsak arranged a nice van to take us all the way up, stopping along the way to do interviews or explore things that were relevant to the research. It was really interesting to go on this kind of travel for me. It was great to talk to people about what was going on, and to see the Laos countryside, which is a riot of green--for the most part.
Unfortunately however, one of main impacts of the road was environmental. The construction of the highway was quite destructive to the surrounding area; mountains were blasted and basically all the trees near the highway were burned or cut down, as you can see from the picture. The Laos government basically gave the Chinese and Thai a free pass to do whatever they wanted. But the execution of the road reflects a flayed 'building'/'construction' mentality: build now, clean up later (if you clean up at all!). Sadly, in just a few months, the road is already deteriorating because of erosion and blasting. Who will fork out the money for the upkeep?

Clearly the road was not benefiting the Lao, at least not yet. And sadly most people along the road still have no power. Clearly the road was made to satisfy two immediate needs: for Thailand to get natural resources out of Loas, and for China to do the same, plus bring goods to sell to Thailand. In this regard, Laos is a mere truck stop. But they don't (or can't) charge very much tax for Thais and Chinese stopping in either. That said the road is more a potential for greater development, since there is basically no cars or trucks or anything else on the road! China especially is thinking big, way ahead into the future when trade might increase. Anyway, for now, the road is mainly enjoyed as a play ground for children and domestic animals. Let's see, among the animals we almost ran over were: ducks, chickens, a buffalo, cats, goats, and dogs (one poor thing got hit bad).
This is a picture from a Hui Xai market selling goods from China.

Finally, we made it to the three year old town of Boten on the Chinese border. We knew some of what to expect, but we were not prepared for what we found. Pressured by Chinese, the Laos government forcibly relocated all the villagers in Boten about 10 kilometers down the road to a 'New' Boten, leaving them with many unfulfilled promises of land to farm. We knew that Chinese investors with many connections had "bought" (leased for 99 years, renewable) several kilometers of land from a Lao official. From interviews we come to find out that the Lao official that sold it has disappeared off the face of planet, and the Chinese are basically running the show. There was not one Lao official, police or border guard anywhere. Ladies and gentleman, this place was quite strange. I would like to call it little Las Chigas. You know? like how Las Vegas first started, with one little casino that expanded. And with the same lack of regulation that Las Vegas began with. It's both illegal for Chinese and the Lao citizens to gamble, but hey! this place runs by it's own rules, obviously. We even saw several cars with Beijing license plates! It must be worth the trip if you get to gamble, eh? That, my friends, is a giant road trip.
The picture above gives a feel for the town: on the left is the huge casino, and the rest of the town is makeshift stores and food stalls. Below you can see the huge jail-like massage and brothel houses (the cream, orange, and white concrete buildings).
In little Las Chigas no one spoke anything but Chinese, all the shpokeepers were Chinese, and more, they took no currency but Chinese yuan. Yikes! All but one of us (thank goodness!) had yuan; we had baht, dollars, Lao kip, and euros ... all useless. Where the heck were we?! It seemed evident to us that in this strange and lawless place we see the workings of an unofficial colonialism that is emerging in parts of the Chinese border with Laos and Burma. (I may do a similar trip to Burma in the near future).

It goes without saying that there's not a whole lot to do in this town besides gambling, going for a 'massage' and other kinds of 'services.' And all of us have rarely been stared at so much: what the hell where we doing there if we didn't want any of these things, and further, why did we have to come this far out in the middle of nowhere to get it? We were out of there the next day.
One thing we did get to do was eat amazing and authentic Chinese food! Lucky for us, JN ordered some great fish and noodle dishes, Yunnanese style. It was the best Chinese food I have ever had, by far. So good! To pic shows the two fish dishes and noodles we had with some tasty and spicy dipping sauces. Yumm!

The trip was unconventional for a trip to Laos in my book (no temples!? no hiking or outdoors!? These things dominated my first trip to Laos with Silivren and Bjørnstjerne). Yet it turned out to be extremely fascinating, and it really helped me to understand the greater Mekong region better. The most fun was interviewing people, of course. We really got to know a little about the Lao way of live, and welcomed the general friendliness that Lao people are known for. Sabaidee!

Some Highlights of Europe 2008, pt4

2008-06-06T12:57:00.025+07:00

A great view of the Neckar, on my way out of Tübingen. It is really a pleasant town. Bye bye! It was great to visit with S and B, who were wonderful hosts. Lots of good company, amazing food and drink, rest, outdoors, and the nice landscapes and towns around the area, made for wonderfully pleasant trip. Now, here are some highlights.

Biking was a big part of my visit, and it was a great way to see things: from panoramic views of the Alps on Lake Constance, to recycling dumpsters, to the Mercedes Benz Museum (left) in Stuttgart.

I love the little biking signs like this one with the EU starred wheels, that guided us on our trip. It’s so darn cute. Needless to say, the trails are extremely well organized. You can pretty much go from one end of Western Europe to the other on bike trails.

I'm proud to say that the grand total for all the biking: 156 kilometers! (97 miles!). Nothing like the 200 miles B and S did recently, but, hey, still good for the leisurely pace we took.

One of the major bike rides was along the German side of Lake Constance (or The Bodensee, as they call it in Germany). Below is a view of the Alps and lake from the town of Landau.Above is one of the Ferraris from the Ferrari Club Germany party we ran into in Landau. Sweet. To the right is one of town's cute buildings.

Biking along Lake Constance we rode for a few minutes into Austria before turning back. I didn't even notice we had crossed over! The EU has made borders crossing easy. In 6 crossing, I was checked only once on my way back to Zurich.

Another big bike ride, along one of the Rhine River canals south of Strasbourg, France, on an absolutely perfect day. The only strange thing is that we couldn’t find a restaurant to eat lunch at in any of the small towns along the way. It seemed to us that a path that pleasant in Germany would be packed with beer gardens and restaurants. But it was nice to have the path almost to ourselves too. S and I ride away below.There was also some hiking in the woods around Tübingen, and then later I went to Freiburg and hiked through some vineyards and hills there.Above is the view of Freiburg, with the Black Forrest looming, from the vineyards I passed through before running into one of the workers who told me that it was private path. Ooops! But he was nice enough to direct me to the gate and told me I could jump over it, which I did.

I was bit starved for western art, so, besides looking at churches we also spend a day in Stuttgart and went to a museum. Among the expressionist I really can’t get enough of Max Beckmann. One of his paintings:The food we had in France was amazing, and we pretty much splurged for dinner, about which I have no regrets whatsoever. And I can’t forget the pastries! It was funny to see B and S basically gallop to their favorite bakery in town when it came into sight! I think I might have overdone it by eating a chocolate éclair for breakfast, but I just couldn’t stop myself. Now it's back to Thailand and back to work. Thanks S and B for such a good time.

Zürich and Strasbourg Churches, Europe 2008, pt3

2008-06-05T16:47:00.020+07:00

Now here was my favorite stained glass work of the trip: Marc Chagall's windows in the Fraümuster, (Church of our Lady) in Zürich, Switzerland. I think I sat there for an hour without realizing it. There are five windows in total, with each a different primary color. The blue depiction of Jacob's dream, struggle with the angel and the stairway to heaven is brilliant, as is the green depiction of the virgin and the crucifixion.
The roman style Grossmünster above became the symbol of the reformation in Switzerland, spearheaded by Zwingli. It has some interesting history before that as well; legend has it that Charlemagne commissioned it in honor of the martyrs Felix and Regula's tombs.Door carvings at the Grossmünster, note four women at the bottom, Jesus' mother and foremothers: Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Maria. Don't you just love how all of them have such unconventional stories? Rahab, a former prostitute? Ruth, a gentile heroine, etc? I do.
The Limmat river and sunset in Zürich.
The Cathedral in Strasbourg, France above, was also interesting to see. As B put it, it feels like the church was made for giants it's so big. But the most interesting was the carvings below above the main entrance of different theological narratives.
These scenes start from creation and go right up to the apocalypse, and include themes like creation, prophecy, old testament stories and gospel scenes. It is one of the most thorough and complete statements I've seen in one place.
Inside the cathedral was another extremely fascinating item: the huge clock to the left. Not only did it tell you the state of the moon relative to the earth and gives all the astrological signs, but at the top of the hour 'Death' in person comes dancing out! I suppose to remind us that we will all die?
Speaking of clocks, um, there were so many clocks! everywhere! and bells! and at the top of the hour the all compete for your ear. I recorded a few minutes of the 7:00pm bells in Zürich. I miss not hearing them, actually.

[Listening may require Quicktime plug-in and settings]

Spiral in Ulm, Freiburg Cathedral, Bebenhausen, Germany, Europe 2008, pt2

2008-06-04T14:21:00.023+07:00

Here are three memorable sacred spaces and art from Germany. One of my favorite churches from the trip was the the minster at Ulm, Germany. The spiral makes it the tallest church in the world! and it's pretty amazing:
Inside is also very nice, and the 14th century stained glass above is notorious for being some of the first to be so colorful, with scenes from creation to crucifixion. This was my second favorite stained glass I saw on the trip.
The Cathedral in Freiburg, Germany, and a piece by Cranach.
Bebenhausen is a great little former monastery near Tubingen.
The halls of Bebenhausen ...

Welcome to Tübingen, Germany, Europe 2008, pt1

2008-05-27T16:27:00.015+07:00

Prost! Enjoying a day with Silivren and Bjornstjerne inside the renaissance Collegium building.
Above is a view of the city from the castle below.

B and S live right in the center of town, it's great. The market in the old town sits right in front of the Rathaus (townhall).

More coming up from lovely western Germany soon ...

Phu Chi Fa and Siam Gate: One Foot in Thailand the Other in Laos

2008-05-20T18:59:00.013+07:00

"Phu Chi Fa" is this dramatic cliff on the border with Thailand and Laos in the Chiang Rai area. As we saw when we went up, there is no clear border demarcation. The Lao and the Thai have been arguing about this area for some time. The Lao insist they should have some share of the revenue brought in by visitors. Clearly, Thais don't agree with this. But the border remains extremely porous; when you walk up there, one step down the ridge of the mountain or cliff and you're in Laos. So there's a good amount of movement into Thailand, particularly of the Hmong who are pretty much being hunted down by the Laos government while Thailand turns a blind eye and sends them back. With all the craziness in Burma this atrocity gets completely overshadowed. You can see various villages from the cliff--and a Laos army base too.

Below is a picture of "Siam Gate." Unlike Phu Chi Fa, this is not a known spot at all. It is an entry way the Lao used especially during the Vietnam war to get into Thailand. Nowadays, you can just walk right into Laos! Pornsak and J did it a few weeks before; when we went, some men from a nearby Lao military base (supposedly) hammered some rickety bamboo together and blocked the 'gate'; no more gallivanting in Laos without a visa! But, hey, anyone would be able to just jump over of crawl through it if they really wanted to.

Songkran Holiday in Pai, Thai New Year

2008-04-30T01:09:00.001+07:00

The rolling mountains, chilled out huts, and lazy river of Pai, above. Wobbly bridges like the one below get you over the river. During Songkran holiday a car-full of us went up to the sleepy town of Pai for a few days. Songkran is the Thai new year that lasts for days, and is also a custom in other South East Asian countries. It has many religious roots, one being of cleansing and renewal, where people pour water over the hand, shoulder or head of someone respected; often people also oo to temples to make merit in various ways. Nowadays, polite water pouring has turned into water wars, where you douse anyone you see with water. I'm holding a water-gun below.
From the inside of our car we took this picture of poeple on side streets singing and dancing and throwing water. Last year and part of this year, I spend the big songkran in Chiang Mai, the center of Songkran festivities in Thailand, and everybody seemed to be out on the street 'playing water' as they call it (sorry no pictures, my camera would not have survived the soakings!). But as in much of northern Thailand, in all of the towns we went to in Pai and on the way there people were playing water like crazy as well.

There are many ethnic minority groups in and around Pai. The most prominent are the Shan (tai yai) and Chinese--both Muslim Chinese and nationalist who fled China during the communist takeover. The architecture that stands out most in the town are the Shan style buildings, with structures up on stilts, the first floor having a large open hall and getting smaller on top, with distinctive silver trimmings on the roof, like the Buddhist monastic residence below.

The place where we stayed was managed by a nice Shan family. The women who checked us in below sits next to Shan memorabilia, including pictures of her ancestors who have been in Pai for several generations.

In the temple below we also got the chance to speak to a monk about the Shan take on the tradition of bringing sand back into the temple grounds and forming a stupa. The monk told us this represents bringing back what one took from the temple.

The stupa is adorned by colorful paper flags having animals from the 12 year cycle Zodiac.
Below is one of the Chinese villages nearby. This picture is from the village-run guesthouse. I recommend it for those who would rather be outside of the town and prefer giving money back to the locals.

We made a day trip to one of the waterfalls, jam packed with villagers. English translations are a constant laugh in this part of the world: Caution, "Be Slip Down." There are many cute little places in Pai to eat, drink and just relax. The art above by children (including a portrait of the King), is from a great spot called 'All About Coffee.' The building is a 150 year old teak structure taken care of by a Thai family; they make great coffee, bake their own bread, and play funky jazz music. Above is one of many cozy little night spots you can go to listen to decent live music.

Not too far a drive from Pai is an old World War II Memorial Bridge built under the Japanese occupation. Apparently they used this windy route to get to Burma. After the bridge the homeward journey began on the curviest stretch of road I've ever been on. Two dramamines and a few hours later we made it back.

The AsiaNetwork Conference 2008

2008-04-17T21:52:00.009+07:00

Last month I went to the AsiaNetwork conference in San Antonio, Tx. It's a small network of liberal arts colleges primarily in the US promoting Asian studies, and the university I work at is an affiliate member. Pornsak and I went as representatives to built ties with other schools and to present a paper we've been working on for the past year and a half. The title of our presentation captures the main point well: "Oblique Intervention: The Role of US Missionaries in Siam’s Incorporation of Lanna—1867-1878." In addition to looking at the missionaries part in the how Siam came to incorparate the Lanna Kingdom of which Chiang Mai was the capital, we also looked at the strong relationship the missionaries had with the Siamese monarchy and government. They came to be quite trusted and were heavily involved in projects to improve the country such as health care, education, urban planning, printing, advising the King, and so on. It was great to get some feedback, and meet people interested in this part of the world. We really appreciated having the opportunity to participate in the conference and share our work.

I've enjoyed all of my trips to San Antonio. The conference was right on the Riverwalk, which is a great place to be. You really feel like you're right in the heart of Mexico in San Antonio, and the Tex-Mex mix is still very much alive. Trinity University president hosted us one afternoon his house with Tex-Mex food, drinks, and a mariachi band. At one point I got a bit excited about the band and started requesting songs and singing along loudly--all the academics were loosened up enough by then to really appreciate that! Luckily for us the city was also having a cultural festival that same weekend, so we got to enjoy that as well. As conferences go, this one had minimal academic ego-tripping, and was very congenial. Couple that with a fun location, and family visits we got to do, made for a really nice trip. Plus, I think we must have gained at least three pounds from all the Mexican food we ate while we were there!

Easter Sunday Prayer for Burma

2008-03-23T09:40:00.007+07:00

Happy Easter Sunday to all. March 9th was Global Day of Prayer for Burma. The Cross above, 'New Moses for New Israel in Myanmar' was presented by a student Tn in one of my classes, and captures the hope and struggle of many Christians in Burma. They have really been on my mind and in my prayers today.

I thought I'd also share about two Christian based organizations, The Free Burma Rangers and Farthest Corners, working for positive change within Burma for internally displaced people, particularly the Karen. The majority of NGO's based in Thailand focus on alleviating the refugee situation (this is absolutely necessary but fails to address the source of the problem). I have spoken extensively with the the leaders of FBR and FC who are brave enough to help people inside have the resources and training to continue the struggle against the military government, so they don't have to resort to leaving their country. On this resurrection day, they deserve our hope and prayers.

Boat Ride from Siem Reap to Battambang, Cambodia

2008-03-03T13:58:00.014+07:00

Since I just posted on Cambodia, I can’t resist saying a little bit about our river boat trip from Siem Reap to Battambang. It remains one of the most incredible traveling I’ve done. Above is one of the two chug-a-lug boats going that way. We weren't exactly expecting to get on the 'speedboat,' but nothing could have prepared us for the 30 minute ride that led to the pier. The poverty I saw there with people living in open bamboo huts, their every move exposed, naked dirty children everywhere, rivals anything I've seen, even in Honduras. But evidently this was the worse of it, and things got better when we started our journey across the Tonle Sap lake toward the river.
Here's a map of the route.
There was a lot of natural beauty on the lake. First we passed through the lake, a protected bird sanctuary area with sunken forests (above). The lake also housed a number of floating fishing towns.
As always, I'm interested places of worship. I love the colorful blue of the small floating church above; below is what looks like the top of a Buddhist temple.
After the lake we steered into the narrow and windy slip of the river; throughout it we got a glimpse into the lives of some of the fishing families who live on small boats, were going about their daily chores.
These kids were quite friendly. I imagine that some of the children have yet to touch solid ground apart from the river banks. After 8 hours of maneuvering the narrow river, we arrived in Battambang. It was nice to visit Battambang, a small, quite little city on the economic rise with only a few foreign visitors, most en route between Bangkok and Phnom Penh. We enjoyed just walking around the city along the river banks and exploring the little shops before we headed off to Phnom Penh by bus. If you come this way and can stand the discomfort of a wooden boat, I highly recommend it!

The Angkor Wat Complex, Cambodia

2008-02-29T22:44:00.022+07:00

A while ago my uncle Joe asked me to post pictures of my trip to the Angkor Wat complex outside of the town of Siem Reap, Cambodia. One of the restaurants near my hotel was called “Angkor What?” which was also my question before I came to South East Asia. Angkor was the ancient capital center of the Khmer Kingdom that lasted from the 9th to 15th century. The ruins of Angkor were abandoned for many years, being cared for at times by a few monks, and fortunately spared from the Khmer Rouge’s destruction. Being abandoned for so many years, nature entwined herself into many of the buildings. Nature spills into the city of Angkor Thom above, and below trees grow out of a building.
Angkor Wat is the name of the main temple. Like many others, Angkor Wat are dedicated to Khmer Kings, who are understood as ruler-gods, following the Hindu mythology that was the dominant religious tradition. There’s symbolism all over. Angkor Wat is designed to evoke the temple-mount Meru, home of the gods; there are also sculptures of god/desses and mythical animals; carvings linings the wall that tell sacred stories, like the Ramayana, and the Churning of the Sea; along with many other carvings that tell historical narratives of the time. Yitaudl stands in front of it here.
Another interesting temple was the Bayon for the huge faces built into the structure. It seems it could be faces of one of the gods, Vishnu or Shiva; or, perhaps King Jayavarman VII himself who commissioned it; or, a few say maybe the face of the Buddha when the dominance of Hinduism give way to Buddhism toward the end of Khmer rule. The Khmer kingship system follows the Hindu tradition of the devaraja, or literally god-king, whose rule is by nature sacred and absolute. The current dynasty in Thailand follows the Theravada Buddhist system of the dhammaraja, literally the dhamma-king. The dhammaraja's rule is effective and sacred insofar as the monarch exemplifies dhamma (or dharma, the Buddhist truth).
The Khmer were in Thailand at one point, and Siam has adopted some of the Khmer kingships practices from them. For instance

Thailand

uses Hindu Brahmins and rituals and even much Khmer vocabulary associated with the devaraja tradition, which makes sense given the supreme reverence given to the monarch here in the kingdom.

Since Buddhism became the dominant religion, many Buddha images find a home in the temples, and they are sacred to many Buddhist visitors. Yet, given the Hindu context of the ruins, it’s not a surprise to find a host of Indian travelers, some on half pilgrimage half vacation. We made friends with a few of them, and they are as useful as a tour guide, being familiar with all symbolism and stories, and being very excited to share about their own religion. It was so much fun to talk with them and discuss the theology together!
Banteay Srei was my favorite site for the wonderfully elaborate depictions and floral details of the carvings that have a red tint—never a bad color. Widely considered a Goddess temple, it is also possible that the intricate cravings may have been done by women. It was also nice because it was away from the bigger temples and you could really take the time to enjoy it.
We were there for 5 days, three full days exploring temple sites. I was ecstatic, I love ruins! But as Yitaudl put it after the day 3, she was “Wat-ed out,” and all of them started to blur together. It was a really great experience, and I would love to go back. Not only to retake pictures of some of the sites we trekked to, like the River of a Thousand Lingas with ruins scattered through a river, but also see some of the others farther out and even more enshrouded in jungle! This is the remains of the female principle that contained a Linga now lost or stolen.

Saigon, Vietnam Trip

2008-02-23T13:50:00.020+07:00

At last, the Ho Chi Minh City blog. Speaking of Ho, here is a fine portrait of him watching over the exquisite interior of the central post office. Mary with Child below also watches after the faithful surrounded by traditional mythical animals.
Last time I went to Vietnam I was so happy to leave I thought I’d never return. It wasn't because of the food, which was remarkable. It wasn’t the beauty of the human hand on the land, creating rice fields of all shades of green. Or the smells. Or the remnants of colonial architecture. Or the temples. Or the governments take on history. All these things were wonderfully fascinating. (You can read about my previous trip in the July-Aug 2007 posts of a friend's blog here)The Catholic Cathedral and a Buddhist Temple.But I could do without the constant NOISE. Everything being SO LOUD ALL THE TIME (even in caps, computer language for being loud it’s annoying, isn’t it?) Or if I had to put my finger on it, the fact that many people are downright rude, stubborn, combative, and sometimes understandably hostile to foreigners. This time though, I went with a band of colleagues, including the dean and president, for two weddings and to visit alumni and churches in order to built closer ties. And because the students are so amazing, hospitable, loving, thoughtful, and many other positive adjectives, I wanted to venture back again. It was also great to visit so many churches and get the know more about their situation. I would love to say more on this but it is a sensitive issue. We also got the chance to see some of the sights in the city. Below is a wonderful painting inside the old headquarters of the Southern government building still very well preserved.On to the weddings! The first thing we all noticed was that everywhere we turned people were getting married and taking wedding photos in the nice public parks. The countless wedding celebrations were not a coincidence. As it turns out, 2007 was the year of the Pig, an auspicious year for getting married. So many couples were in a rush to get official before the Chinese New Year February 7th. Our weddings were a huge hoopla. And as with more and more Vietnamese weddings these days, They were also an interesting mix of cultures. In both the vows and actual ceremony were quite western, but the celebration very Vietnamese. The mix also meant the couple changed clothes a few times; the groom twice, and the bride having the pleasure of sporting three dresses: for the ceremony a typical western white poofy dress; right after that emerging to dine in a festive and colorful party dress; and finally, changing into a traditional Vietnamese outfit to see guests off. The couple in the middle below wear blue and red traditional outfits.As part of the celebration there was an open mike for anyone who wanted to sing a song for the new couple. There were people hired to dress up as traditional characters too. The food that I could eat (there’s a lot of pork in southern Vietnamese food!) was really quite amazing. Needless to say, when the celebration got going, the band, the singing and the m.c. announcing things at the top of his lungs, were so LOUD some of us had to plug our ears or go outside. Yet it was all very fun. And if some might see the hearts and roses everywhere as overly romantic, they were not without a playful undertone.

I stayed in the city a few days after the others left and I was privileged to hang out with the locals. What do many people do in Saigon for fun? Sit around and drink coffee, of course! The best part about Saigon was discovering the many charming coffee shops hidden behind dilapidated neighborhoods off the main boulevards, and advertised by word of mouth only. Being the only foreigner at every single one of them, I asked jokingly if they were hard to find to keep tourists away. No, they joked back, it’s probably more a getaway from work to keep the bosses away, and to pass the time undisturbed. We also saw some famous singers lazing around the coffee house below.

Besides the indisputable fact that Vietnamese coffee is very tasty—whether it’s from a stall on the side of the road, or in a hip coffee shop—I also found a wonderful new drink that seldom appears outside these shops. It’s fresh yogurt with milk and a little this and that. (The name I can't remember.) So typical of Vietnamese cuisine in its delicious simplicity.
All was very good for a few days. Above is a pic of an elaborate water puppet show we went to together. The first part of the trip I was with the group, in well organized excursions. I was also able to watch, with half horror half fascination, the legendary Saigon traffic from the window of a comfortable and shielded minivan. Motorbikes where everywhere. Traffic signals are not so common, and in roundabouts you just have to inch your way forward. When there’s an intersection with no signals, just keep going ... eventually you’ll cross. Somehow it works, or it’s forced to by necessity. How pretty some of the women looked, riding their motorbikes with their traditional colorful silk Ao Dai’s flowing in the wind.

Being in the middle of the traffic on a motorbike is an entirely different experience. This is how I got around after the group left. Oh, the pollution! The constant ROARING noise of the bikes that crescendos when the traffic lights turn green. It was a concrete adventure. We only got hit by other motorbikes twice in three days! I gathered that getting hit is common, so best not make a fuss if there's no damage.

But then, I got mugged. Two guys had followed us on a motorbike, and when we were about to get off they attacked, knocking me off ours and stole my bag with my camera, etc. I got some scrapes, bruises, and a sprained finger, but nothing serious. It really shook me up because somehow I thought I’d be protected, being with locals. Turns out these kinds of things happen to them as well, very recently to one of them. Oh, well. Unfortunately, it’s more and more common. I’m coping better with it now, thank God. The pictures on this blog I've slowly accumulated from others, but I've lost some of my family Christmas pictures and all the churches in Saigon. And the students were sorry it happened, and so nice about it. I don’t know what I would have done without them: MsB., MrT, and TL, and Ng especially. I was so happy to spend time with them and their friends and family afterward. We had a good time eating some of the best food and fish dishes I’ve had and going around town just relaxing. I've been told I should return, and be whisked straight away to some of the small towns, especially in Central Vietnam. That seed of hope of ever going back to Vietnam may grow in the future, we’ll see! I certainly would like to visit some of them in their hometown.

Birthday Celebrations: Picnic, Chocolate Feast and More ...

2008-02-01T16:58:00.006+07:00

Yes, I am officially an ‘adult’ now! It's the big X0 ... Actually, it was remarkably fun. These are some pictures from the birthday picnic.Although there have been some tough and painful moments, and not without mistakes, this year especially the last few months have been I real blessing, thank God. Work has been going well, but my colleagues, friends, and my wonderfully joyous students have really enriched my life here in Thailand. And I’m happy to have been able to see my family twice in the past year!

As for the celebrations … there were many, I’ll just mention some highlights. There were of course many individual dinner treats, all involving wonderful food which seems everlasting here. My fabulous friend UJean and I share the same birthday, and our friends took us to one of my favorite outdoorsy spots, the Huey Tong Tao reservoir for some picnicky fun over the weekend for eating, swimming, badminton and all kinds of relaxed fun.

Some people had the famous live 'jumping shrimp' in a spicy paste.

On my actual birthday I invited all the international students in my program over along with a few friends for a dessert feast. Um, I guess I went a little overboard …

In addition to fruits, and starters, we had: fruit cocktail cake (an island recipe from home) with ice-cream, then chocolate cupcakes with some cream cheese frosting, fudge brownies, a chocolate birthday cake, and finally strawberries dipped in dark chocolate. This all came in stages and lasted for many hours. Finally, the remaining few went to meet up with Ujean at a friend's lounge. To our surprise he started playing a happy birthday song, and brought out yet another cake—flowerless chocolate! and served us champagne. Believe it or not we ate that too! I may have had “fat Tuesday” a little early this year. There might be some giving up to do for the Lenten season.

On another subject, I had a little 'incident' in Saigon (more on that later), so there's not a whole lot of pictures. I also plan to blog this weekend about Saigon, as I'm finally not so busy at work, and been given pictures. Thank you for your patience!

Chasin' Ol' Junks

2008-01-03T11:43:00.004+07:00

Every Christmas and New Year on Bonnacca cay there is the traditional outing of the Junkanoo's, or Old Junks. Guys (and the occasional girl) dress up incognito in whatever piece of ugly torn thing they can find, add a few pieces of junk around them, and put on whatever other thing that gives their outfit a personal junky touch--hence the name old 'Junk'. Two other things complete the Junkanoo: something to scare, hit, or throw on people: a pipe hose, a stick, tar, shaving cream, etc. And the last part of the outfit: The money holder!
And what do they do? Chase and run after people. And scare or hit the ones they catch. To entice the Junks to give you a good chase, you can wave money at them. If they catch you, you give them cash, or suffer. Sometimes they dance in gratitude but usually you'll get a good swipe ... Mostly they go around the streets grunting and carrying on.
It's all in good fun--only rarely do they get out of hand. And of course the kids love it. Some can look a little comical too. Like this Ol' Junk who found a rusty umbrella to wear. He's my big little bro! He looks tame here, but has the reputation for being a terribly fierce Ol' Junk. Being 6'+ with all the gear, he clears the narrow streets.
There is a Junkanoo festival of masked dancing in the Bahamas and other places in the Caribbean. Some of the old folks say this tradition comes from the Dutch, but there is no agreement on the origins of the tradition. It certainly has been around for at least a century. Even my Granny (above) still enjoys them and pays them to dance and take pictures!

A sunset here, a dolphin there. Guanaja

2008-01-01T01:26:00.002+07:00

Ahhhhh. Home on The Bay Islands, Honduras. I'm on the island of Guanaja again spending the new year with family and friends. I grew up on the little cay you see above with houses on it. It's about half a square mile, but somehow has a few thousand people! Most of the main island is wild tropical jungle. (If interesting in more pics or property, we can help you here.) The sunset pics are from a little cay out in the middle of the ocean called Dumbar Rock where we had a bbq. This was the last sunset of 2007.
When steaming around in a boat the other day we were visited by two nice dolphins. They're very fast! But I got one them coming up for air.
Have a happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, from Texas

2007-12-24T09:57:00.007+07:00

This Christmas season finds me in the Hill Country area of central Texas, visiting family. It's certainly the most beautiful part of the Lone Star state, and being around Austin means it's fairly politically progressive. And I knew I had reached Austin because they had a live blues/country band playing right in center of the airport! They love their live music around here. I got a picture of these cacti dressed up for Christmas outside a local taco spot.

It was also great to see family and friends in a short layover in the LA area. There's so much to be thankful for this year--my friends, family, students, strangers in Thailand ... Merry Christmas, and God bless!

Here's a nice Christmas song for you. It's late Freddy Fender's "It's Christmas Time in Texas." Gotta miss him. Tex-Mex is loads of fun! 'La Navidad ya llego!'

Click play above, or
Click to hear music file

Happy 80th to King Bhumipol

2007-12-05T14:26:00.002+07:00

Today is the King's 80th birthday, I wanted to wish him well. It's a pretty huge deal here in Thailand as people love and adore this particular king, and part of the way they show it is to wear a 'yellow shirt,' especially on Mondays (the Queen has a 'blue shirt' people wear on Fridays). Well, I was reluctant to get one--they're so yellow! among other things that will go unmentioned ... But a student was raising money for an orphanage and got me to buy a Christianized yellow shirt--since Christians love the Buddhist king too. Yes, the right sleeve says "God Bless Thailand." And there is the white cross and the Christian fish symbol as well. A little over the top but hey! It was for a good cause ... Another plus is that it's only socially acceptable for women to wear pants to work with a yellow or blue shirt, so I get they added bonus of wearing pants on Mondays!

Mr. Chorn in Thailand

2007-11-21T10:05:00.001+07:00

Last week a friend from college came to visit for a few days. We've been calling him 'Chorn' (Mr. Spoon). As requested, I finally posted some of his pics! Mr. Chorn with the Elephants. I keep a healthy distance--they're so big and scary! I rode an elephant once in Loas, and touched a baby one, but that's enough for me.
Here's one painting. It's really amazing how brilliant these creatures are. If anyone wants me to send them a painting by an elephant, let me know. Some are quite good. As for Chorn, he took home paper made from elephant dung ... hummm. A Spirit-House at a rooftop hangout spot.

The Sunday night market. Chorn loved it. I get overwhelmed after the first hour.

He managed to get a pic of ajD shopping around.

These are from a day trip to Chiang Dao, a holy mountain in northern Thailand. Below is the entrance to the Chiang Dao Cave:

Did we really fit through that tiny hole? Chorn! Did you get stuck!?!

Stairway to the Wat on Chiang Doi mountain, and the Wat below.

Khun Sa's House

2007-11-14T15:36:00.001+07:00

A few weeks ago one of the world most wanted drug kingpins from the Golden Triangle, Khun Sa, died in Burma. I went up to his old house where he ran his operations a few months ago. There's talk of renovating his old compound now that he's dead--even talk of turning it into a tourist trap of sorts. I wanted to show a few pics of what it looks like before anything dramatic changes.

Khun Sa's camp is in a Shan village up in the mountains, and is extremely difficult to find, first of all. But thanks to J and Pornsak we managed to find it. When we got to the village there was nobody there, but some kids playing football told us to go right in. the place looked like it had hardly been touched since he left. Part of the house was used as a kind of museum commemorating heroes who have fought for an independent Shan state located primarily in Burma. There were old maps, and paintings of leaders in traditional clothing, and a copy of a statement of a Shan independence state signed by the Burmese government prior to the current Junta, who have ignore it. And there were cobwebs. And dust. Everywhere. Obviously, it's not cared after very well. It may also reflect some ambivalence about Khun Sa within his own community.
The Thai authorities tolerated him for a time when he was useful in fending off supposed communist threats. He was also in a poppy territorial war for control of the trade with the Chinese nationals around Mae Salong (I plan to blog about that soon). Anyway, he began to be a liability and embarrassment when he started knocking off CIA agents snooping around him. He was very open about what he did, and says he used the drug revenues to fight for the liberation of the Shan ethnic group. He's a fallen hero to some Shan. After all, he 'turned himself in' to the Burmese Junta. In turn for shutting up about Shan liberation, he got a nice life with a big house and reportedly got to play golf all the time. The place had a strange feel about it; like you just knew many people were killed in this very spot. You get the sense that Khun Sa's cause is also dying, being eaten away by cobwebs. Perhaps there are better ways for the Shan to go forward other than a separatist state.

The Hall of Opium

2007-11-11T19:09:00.002+07:00

Close to Chiang Rai is the infamous 'Golden Triangle' area where three countries, Thailand, Burma, and Loas meet around the Mekong river. The name started with the CIA to the illegal opium trade that runs wild in the area, with production peaking in the 70's. The name has stuck ever since. Tucked in a mountain, alone and off the beaten path is the biggest, baddest, most entertaining non-art museum, I've ever been to: The Hall of Opium.

Did I mention it's super fun? You start out going through an underground tunnel that goes from one side of the mountain to the other side where the museum complex is. The tunnel is a hallway of crazy lighting and psychedelic music that's suppose to make you feel like you're on an opium or heroine trip ... it starts out good, but like a 'comedown' later gets nightmarish. It has a number of fun exhibits that show the history of opium, and also how the local Hill Tribes (minorities) have used it for centuries for medicinal purposes (as they are still allowed to do today). I liked the fact that it covered so much ground, from trade politics to opium paraphernalia.

China has heavily funded the Museum, and that can be seen in several ways: 1. The English is actually correct! 2. The heavy focus on Opium's impact on China especially in the later half of the 19th century, the Opium Wars, and the English who forced it on them, and 3. The dozens of times they mention the word SHAME to talk about opium's negative effects on Chinese society. Just to mention a few more things, there was an interesting video section on drugs and war in the recent times, including American support of military forces (such as Afghanistan's Muhajideen) who fund themselves through opium production. I was also impressed that they didn't shy away from giving the right information about the Siamese Monarchy and opium. The Monarchy controlled and taxed trade and opium dens! And at some points, opium accounted for up to 25% of the monarchy's income.

Of course they didn't spend too much time on the lure of the 'high' people get from drugs ... understandable. But there was a whole two halls dedicated to public service announcements: "The Hall of Excuses" (gotta love that name!) shows the negative consequences of drug abuse, and many high profile celebrities who died or suffered from it. And "The Hall of Reflection" has quotes from the Bible, Buddha, Gandhi and others to inspire people to stop drug abuse and the illegal drug trade.

The Golden Triangle is an appropriate location for the museum, given its history past and present. Yet it's also a good place to promote the project initiated by the Princess Mother. She is the current King Bhumibol's mother, and is loved in the north. The project's goals are to rehabilitate the forests, and to stop the hill tribe people's dependence on the opium trade. So it has focused on education (hence the museum), developing substitutionary crops and training for alternative employment. The trip as an inspiration for my own public service announcement for halloween: a "junky" heroine addict with gross bandages, and bloody veins ... beware kids :)

Chalermchai’s Wat Rong Khun

2007-10-31T15:35:00.008+07:00

Chiang Rai is famous for a fantasy-like "White Temple" named Wat Rong Khun and designed by charismatic artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. Apparently he is quite a devout Buddhist and he will dedicate the temple to the King, who has come to back the project.

I was in as much awe this visit as the last. It's certainly the most imaginative temple I've seen. I can't decide if it represents heaven or hell or both. Or whether it would be more appropriate in Disneyland or a Thai ghost story, or if that's all part of the point. In addition to the glittery white roof trimmings jutting out, some of the most fanciful features are the sculptures. When you get to the entrance you're greeted by hands coming out of the ground seemingly pleading for offerings.

Instead of the usual Naga dragon-snakes that guard the entrance of temples in Thailand there are two man-monsters.

If the sculpture and architecture fascinate and frighten, the mural inside the temple are plain unbelievable. The back wall has Chalermchai's depiction of the temptations and desires of this world. Conjoining everything is the demon Mara, who in Buddhist mythology personifies temptation and consistently tries to obstruct the Buddha's quest for enlightenment. The ubiquitous demon manifests itself in many forms: hideous faces, horns, tentacles and other nasty things. My favorite is the snake-turn-gas pipe that crashes into the Twin Towers. Mobile phones, watches, oil, sex, and cars are some of the desirous distractions. There's also a fun cast of characters from pop culture: Java the Hut from Star Wars, Superman, and my personal favorite, Neo from The Matrix!! I assume Neo is a good guy here?? I wish I could have taken pictures (not allowed) but some 'friends' gave me these:

Look into the eye of the evil Mara and what do you see?

Well, you can't see it clearly but it's the face of Osama bin Laden. Guess who's in the other eye? None other than ol' George W Bush.

The temple testifies to the Thai appreciation of diversity and maintaining tradition while incorporating foreign cultural forms.

We actually got to talk to Chalermchai when he was taking a break from his work. He was very nice to talk to us and tell us a bit about the mural. But we didn't have time to ask any detailed questions, as many people came over to speak to him and get autographs. He did say the mural will be one wall-to-wall piece. Next he plans to paint the side walls of the temple which he says will depict the the shedding of desires, and finish painting the front of the temple with it's beautiful Buddha at the center. So it seems to me he is trying to direct the gaze of the viewer. At first the gaze naturally starts by looking backward at the sensational insanity of the world and all its trappings. After this sensory overload the gaze moves to the side murals that show more and more detachment from the world. Until finally, the gaze can rest on the tranquility of the Buddha.

Mr. Chalermchai in his blue rap-around paints with JLoh and I.

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

Red Tips | Hours: Anyone can visit the temple, and it's open daily from 8am-6pm. Location / Directions: It is well-known, so ask any Thai person for directions to 'Wat Rong Khun'; or your driver, taxi, or tuk-tuk can get you there easily. The temple is about 13 kms from Chiang Rai, right off the main highway to Chiang Mai (coming from Chiang Rai, you can't miss the glittery temple on the left side, turn on the road to Khun Korn waterfalls). For a good list of prices and places to stay in the area, visit Chiang Rai Hotels.

The Bizarre in Chiang Rai

2007-10-30T13:08:00.000+07:00

I recently made a trip to Chiang Rai and as always went to the Night Bazaar open market and food area. I also saw some interesting and bizarre names for establishments while walking around. Most amusing was the sign advertising for "The Womb," "The Inn Come Hotel," and "The Sperm." Throw in "Thai Massage" and ... anyone trying to make a baby? Hilarious. Chiang Rai is the most fun and chilled out Night Bazzar I've been to in Thailand. It's the hangout spot for locals both young and old, rich and poor, with all kinds of food from local worms to sushi, performances from traditional northern thai music to Kathoey shows, and people selling everything from tacky-thai kitsch to hip contemporary art.
Night Bazaar--never a complete experience in Thailand without a Kathoey Show, or thai 'lady boys' found performing all over the country.

That's Right. Red Sox Rule

2007-10-29T11:13:00.004+07:00

Congratulations to the Red Sox! Wish I were in Boston again right now.
The sweep is sweet. Again.
I've always been a baseball fan. But growing up on a small Caribbean island, with exactly 11 channels on tv, I had no choice but to become an Atlanta Braves follower--thanks to Mr. Ted Turner's TBS, which was all the baseball I could get. That is until I went to Boston for grad school and was sucked into the superstitious cult obsession that forms the Red Sox Nation. What sucked me in was not the children praying, or grown men kneeling and crying at dire moments in a game, or even the hatred of the Yankees as Satan. What did it was that my church was in the Fenway Park neighborhood and gave the ministers free season tickets as a gesture of neighborly goodwill. So I got to go to a number of games. It's a charming old park with great acoustics and you always feel you're right on the field. I even managed to warm up a few friends to the game at Fenway (yes, that's you Silivren).

A silly nickname for me, please

2007-10-22T10:48:00.002+07:00

Thailand is a land of silly nicknames, or 'play names' as they call them, and just about everyone has one (see this article from IHT). Actual Thai names are such long testaments most people only know the names of people close to them. That means the most accomplished people will introduce themselves as 'Bird' (nok) or 'Shrimp' (khun) or 'Chicken' (guy) or 'Pig' (moo)! I got carried away with animal names ... But English numbers are a trend too like 'First,' and then there's any number of letters: 'A,' 'D' or 'M.' It's also nice that they are gender neutral and just plain funny.

And I want one! If only because the accent butchers my name--having no 'v' sound, people pronounce my name with a horrid drawn out 'w' which ends up sounding like wwwwaaaaaaaaa. So I've chosen some for this blog: 'A' is common for the first born of the family, as am I, so I may refer to myself as 'A,' or aj. for ajarn as some students call me. Or Daeng for Red, or just aj.D. Some of my colleagues have called me Nong Suay and Warunee, but I just can't mange to say, 'Hi, I'm Beautiful Sister,' or 'Pretty Girl!' Anyway, some friends here get a kick out habitually of mispronouncing my name. So I'll have to try new names on the next person I meet.