Posts Tagged ‘thailand’

An Active Minority Emancipation

Posted: December 3, 2011 in Active Minority, In search of Art & Nature, Testimonial, Travel, tourism & Me
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“The most important thing that’s happened to me in Chiang Mai is I’ve started to know who I am. I’ve started to realize why I exist.”

It was September 2011, when Chiang Mai culture began thoroughly percolating into Hussein Ghouleh’s sense of Self – transforming his life, eternally.

          “The moment I reached Chiang Mai, everything started to became clear,” says Hussein. “And when I started looking at this culture from the point-of-view of a Muslim, I related to my religion more than I ever could before.”

He felt, “peace.”

For a contextual window into Hussein’s mindset, he’s from Jordan in the Middle East – a location for which he harbors spirited sentiments related to how his worldview was moulded.

          Hussein proclaims that many aspects of his root system are based on “limitation,” which he maintains is about prescribing levels of personal production via education regarding religion and culture. Accordingly, he did feel part of a community, although “treated as a sheep – not (valued) for my potential.”

          While of course these cultural facets exist worldwide, Hussein – at the time of his initial arrival in Chiang Mai as an “Arab traveler” – “didn’t know if it was right or wrong.” Therefore, he naturally strove to make sense of his new-found environment by drawing from his prior life experiences. And this journey has been flip-flopping everything he had previously known about the world.

          “Why I really love Chiang Mai is because I literally feel like I can accomplish anything I want here and anything anyone would ask me to do,” said Hussein, while displaying a rich smile and a determined gaze. “Because I’ve finally realized that life is just one big, fat joke, and I’ve learned how to laugh.”

          “I’ll be honest,” he added. “Up until the moment I reached Chiang Mai, I was acting out of limitation and desperation…Now that I’m free, I can never go back.”

***

Hussein declares that the fundamental difference between his prior lifestyle and the one he’s now living in Chiang Mai is that his current environment is providing for a sturdy platform from which he’s envisioning a seemingly endless array of life opportunities. He feels liberated from norms related to social ranking, especially those to which he’s accustomed.

          He’s creating his own stick for which the carrot is attached, by life-nesting with his wife, Manami. They are both successfully indulging in a freelance work lifestyle, in a home tucked inside a dead-end street located on the western fringes of Chiang Mai.

          Here, Hussein is undergoing a series of personal growth journeys – including those related to patience, acceptance, responsibility and respect – that are nourishing both his external and internal worlds.

          The general social environment of Chiang Mai’s is offering him a “real education,” which he’s convinced is about being exposed to new information as well as adopting the behavioral traits of another culture. He thoroughly comprehends that a lifestyle in addition to the one to which he was accustomed is sustainable.

          “There are too many reasons why I’m in Chiang Mai,” said Hussein. However, “Upon arriving, I first noticed the people. Every person I dealt with was treating me for who I am as a person, which was a human being receiving a service; so, they gave it with a smile. Regardless if this smile was fake or not, it felt real.”

          Furthermore, he’s thoroughly inspired by the tenacity of local, common-folk Thai people, their resourcefulness and capacity for survival, while being seemingly immune to perpetual worry. They “accept life as it comes.”

          Hussein acknowledges these traits as a positive result of religion and culture. And these life philosophies are at the polar opposite of the ones he’s used to practicing. “It was never about the journey, always the destination.”

          Furthermore, “Most (Thais) are doing something to live, to operate, to function,” added Hussein (who confesses to speaking in broad generalities). “Whatever skills they have, they use them to their full potential. This is what Chiang Mai is. Even if they don’t have a (formal) education, they have something to rely on – a skill, and they’re not ashamed to use it.

          “What I have also noticed is they don’t put the personal-life factor up front. It’s a personal thing. It stays inside. ‘Whatever I do during the day, I don’t have to report it to anybody.’ There is no judgement.”

          Hussein, for the most part, feels “accepted” and “embraced” in Chiang Mai. He also believes that tranquility between humans can be cultivated if people acknowledge that when they are interacting with others – say, from a different country – they are actually interfacing with another culture.

          “They will then start to acknowledge that whatever this person is doing – which may seem weird or strange, but is normal to them – should be appreciated. It’s something of a self-reflection, like looking into the mirror.”

          An example of this is Hussein’s experiences while selling pita bread and sandwiches at a Chiang Mai street market. He felt free and welcomed, while receiving kind-hearted gazes and curious inquiries from both Thais and those from other countries. What astounded him most was the queries related to his levels of happiness. “This question, nobody, not even my father or mother or friends, have asked.”

          Hussein talks about “feeling rich when you are poor,” adding that a self-sufficient mentality assists with this. “The more I’ve started becoming a Chiang Mai resident, the more I feel that I’m obtaining (life) skills and really shouldn’t worry. I can do, anything.”

          He added that all of these overall factors related to Chiang Mai culture create an environment suitable for a plethora of personal backgrounds and opportunities.

***

Hussein coins a term for himself – an “active minority,” in the sense that he’s been active as a minority within every community of which he’s lived, whether related to his ethnic origins, or personal and professional backgrounds.

          Likewise, he’s diligently working towards providing inspiration and guidance for people searching for new challenges in their lives – willing to “break cultural and social boundaries to broaden their possibilities.” For Hussein, Chiang Mai is currently the “utopia, whatever this means,” for realizing this life vision.

          “The most important thing that’s happened to me in Chiang Mai is I’ve started to know who I am,” Hussein expressed firmly. “I’ve started to realize why I exist.”

          Hence, he feels “alive.”

          “I didn’t even stop for one second in my 30 years of living in the Arab world to look at a tree.” However, “I feel like this is year one for me. It’s like being in my childhood, as an adult.

          “I’m really taking care of myself now. Every day I wake up, I still get the same feeling that this is my first day in Chiang Mai…I really don’t know what will happen, or what I will be doing, but I am extremely excited.

Text and photography by Jeffrey Warner

(www.jeffsjournalism.com)

Spirits of a Religious Nature

Posted: July 7, 2011 in Active Minority, In search of Art & Nature, Travel, tourism & Me
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Needless to say, Thailand in general, and Chiang Mai in specific is blessed with a beautiful untouched nature, not only because of the components of that nature from waterfalls and natural springs that generously feeds its mountains and hills, growing an over supply of whatever a living being would need, and that’s one of the reasons why Thailand is self-fulfilled, and because there is always supply and a demand that matches it, especially in Chiang Mai where most of the products in the market are locally grown, bread, and manufactured from all aspects of life and nature around it, and that is why you end up with quality of products and ‘considerably’ lower prices than anywhere in the world, from housing to food, and cost of living in general.

A long with the many blesses that Chiang Mai and the northern parts of Thailand has, is the appreciation of every aspect of life as a local culture, sharing it with pure amazing people embarking their knowledge in ‘their’ favorite city as they pass along, and taking something with them along the ride to remember Chiang Mai with ‘until their next return’ whether long or for just a short break. Even at night ‘this moment’ and since I live close to the mountains on a dead end street ‘that’s how close!’, and although its a disadvantage to miss the view from the balcony at night, the sounds of Cicada’s, Gecko’s, and river bank Frogs, makes it a pleasure to sleep your day away with a sense of pure serenity, more close to a Nirvana…

View from the balcony

Suddenly… the repeated shortened bird chirping of Gecko’s and the continuous croaking frogs ribbiting to mate! stops ‘all at the same time’ and gradually continues after a while, growing into a true phenomena! You truly realize how this nature ‘far exceeds’ being anything but ‘natural’, which is unfortunately either taken for granted or simply just ignored, whether here in Thailand or any parts of this unappreciative world. But the fact is, a nature that keeps me up all night, eager to look at her every morning, waking me up with free-spirit birds; a nature that will always make me wonder what mood she will bless me with today, but she always manage to keep me pleasantly warm, or lift my spirits with a winding breeze from mountain tops, taking away the sunshine ray, behind the scenes of mighty mountains and rice fields.

Nature demands and requires respect, she needs to be taken care of, so she can take care of us! We always like to feel that we are taken care of regardless how, where or why! In life in general a sense of security is always needed for all living things, including ‘humans’, and when someone takes care of us, it is required ‘at least’ from us to thank them, as a gesture of ‘good faith’ in them, and ‘appreciating’ the helpful hand or the advice they gave us, even the talk we enjoyed with them at any given moment. But how do we thank Nature for all the things she gave to us? I have no resources to give back to nature ‘I can take care of her whenever I can’ but she’s all over the place, I cant take care of her all, but I can only hope to enjoy her more.

I wash my hands, face and ears, head and nose, and gurgle the earths juice in tears, clearing away the dirt of the day. Feeling fresh, feeling blessed, I find my self alone with nature in the dark, and I couldn’t help my self but to pray to the only power I know that can provide such a spiritual experience for a religious nature.

Untouched sense of nature

Posted: June 20, 2011 in Travel, tourism & Me
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One of the amazing things in visiting Thailand for a holiday, is the easy access to all the hideaways most tourists are still unaware off, and the variety of those hideaways in Thailand caters to all kinds of taste and interests, whether its a small teak wood villa in the middle of  one of the most amazing and beautiful accessible mountains and hills stretch throughout Thailand, whether its the beautiful triangle of the north and natures of the South, or the peaceful islands of the Eastern Thai sea  , filled with waterfalls,  natural springs and rivers, or “secluded islands” where nature “literary” untouched but easily accessible with a bit of an adventurous soul . Since most of those hideaways are developed by the local Thai’s to cater for people who are looking for this type of serenity with a nature that is second-to-non.

    

Feeling privileged to visit some of those amazing hideaways just as a local would eaily be able to do, one specific spot was “Koh Kood”, and the fact that it lays somewhere in the middle of the Eastern Thai sea, and the only way to reach is to travel east where Thailand shares boarders  with Cambodia” reaching a Thai city called “Trat” which can be accessed from Bangkok thru various commercial and “low cost” airlines, and is reachable by land transportation as well, which is “always the best way” to travel around Thailand. From “Trat” you need to take a 3 hours speed boat, that can be both “fun” or “disastrous” depending on how your stomach holds up, but reaching your destination will prove that your long Joy ride is worth this small effort to do ; from crystal clear “private” beaches and barely seeing any tourists or even “staff” at sight, some fishermen with their boats at the sea Horizon, leaving you with a peaceful Joy that you are truly far away from any world you know or experienced, leaving you with a sense of rebirth, you can actually sense it in everything you do there, from the food to the sea winds, swinging on your own private hammocks, hanged on the multiple palm trees spread all around and throughout the island.

     

The beauty of having NO cars on the Island and even No roads to service them, and where the only 2 ways to move around the Island, is either by walking through the forest, where you can almost immediately locate various hidden resorts and Thai restaurants, cooking one of the most amazing sea foods in the country, or you can just rent out a small boat from any resorts around the island ‘that is, if you prefer to do some island hopping by your self”. This is the beauty of Koh Kood! Encourages you to get in touch with nature first hand and enjoy every aspect of it naturally with no inconveniences or outside effects, whether its by a whole day fishing trip for “20 dollars” including the boat rent and all the fishing equipment you might ever need, and a designated Thai fisherman on top of all, to drive the boat for you and prepare for your fishing experience, after which,  any restaurant you may favor would be more than delighted to cook your catch in any way you wish to, with any side dish you can imagine, or you can just leave it to the experience of the Thai sea food chefs that are spread around the island.

     

If you’re looking to spend some good spiritual quality time on by the beach on a swinging hammock, or just laying down on the white puffy sand beaches, or maybe a dip in the clear ocean water sea, enjoying the countless natural views spread around the island. Just grab a pair of goggles to snorkel around the island, and wander around endless types of swimming fish, and amazing sea life, or you can engage in the different water activities with your partner thru a close by “Activities Center” that provides all kinds of water sport activities and adventure, where you can actually go on discovery trips to register, and name an undiscovered diving spots after your “own name”.

     

     

Another encouraging aspect about this island is the range of prices for all accommodation types, ranging from “as low as 15 dollars” and “as high as a 150 dollars” all with incomparable quality, leaving you not only speechless, but naturally “skeptical”. But not to worry! Just right around the end of the day, you’re cultural shock tends to drift away with the amazing scenery around the island, as the sun fades away behind the ocean view.

    

This island is a habitat to the local community running those resorts with a hand full of restaurants around the island, and another hand full of tourists who were lucky enough to discover the island after going through “quiet a ride” to reach to this hideaway. After sunset, and since there are no streets or cars on sight, there isn’t any need for public lighting! making it “unnecessary” to go outside your resort area after sunset. But that’s where you can enjoy a nice quite or romantic evening the beach with a dinner that will leave all your senses satisfied, along with all sorts of natures musical sounds and beach waters splashing against the palm trees on the shoreline, leaving you in total serenity, with a rewarding value for money and the best quality time to spend with your loved ones with absolute stress-free environment.

    

Erotic Asian Massage

Posted: June 12, 2011 in Arabs & Culture
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I just came back from an amazing Thai traditional massage, that was “by all means” the best massage I ever had. It was a very uplifting and a relaxing experience that made me feel relief and in peace, all because of the amazing techniques used by a Thai “professional” masseuse. She practically “re-placed” every bone and muscle in my body to its “original status”  leaving me with a sense of being “reborn” and in general, this is the kind of experience you’re set to go through, once you visit “most” of the massage places spread around Thailand.

Thai Traditional Massage

The massage culture here in Thailand is of “high importance”, not only as a reputation for being one of the best destinations for “the Spa” experience, but also the atmosphere, accountability, safety, and the quality of the massage spa’s here are “unmatchable”. I was reassured of that fact, after going through a lot of massage experiences throughout my travels, and I have always made sure to choose only the best quality when it comes to “massage techniques” which can be quite hard to recognize without going through the experience “first hand”.

The reason why I stand by and “only” recommend the Thai massage experience, extends to more than just a healthy uplifting experience leaving your body and mind “revitalized” with an amazingly incomparable quality and efficient price ranges that suites “pocket change” whatever that would be “for real”. but that’s where the comparison stops! simply because “even though such an amazing experience has a longer and better health effect on your body and mind”, most people “especially the readers of this post” are looking for different kinds of massages, due to the massage culture presentation in each country, and how the society came to accept such practices.

I remember the first time I went to a massage center in Jordan “all massage centers there are underground now”, and even-though,  I was looking for a “massage experience” I went into that center that had nothing to do with a “body & mind” experience, but at that time I was only “a 16 years old clueless teenager”. and not even the look of those “Moroccan masseuses” nor their massage skills where anywhere near having any kind of experience. After I finished my weird “1 hour experience” during which, I was only oiled up while she’s was chatting the “whole time”, and hearing a lot of shouting “from the center manager” telling another masseuse from the next room that she “already spent 15 extra minutes over the assigned timing of the session!”. After “rushing out” to meet my awaiting friend “funny enough, he asked me if I got some action”.

From that time, I realized how most “if not all” men in the Arab world, think of massage as an “erotic or sexual service” to be provided during or after “the session”, it even haunted me “since I am an Arab” to most masseuses means that “I am looking” for the same kind of service the moment they find out “my origins”. It is sad to see a “traditional cultural art” being tarnished by sexual practices forced by a cultural mentality the Arab men has, and where the massage was only “promoted” as a form sexual acts, and even labeled by Arab governments as a form of “prostitution” “which made it more appealing to do it underground anyways”, and where in cities like Dubai, Bahrain & even Saudi, seeking online search engines for a massage service, would result to a “clear conclusion that those cities are widely running an “underground” sexual slaves operation, covered by a so called “massage services” and blessed by governments “behind closed doors”, forcing resorts and hotels to turn their massage centers to “Exclusive Spa’s” to clear out the mix-up between both practices, so you could spend a “fortune” to actually seek a professional traditional no-sex massage.

But the problem far extends from just being a “misinterpretation of oriental cultures”, and became an actual culture carried out by Arab travelers, seeking erotic massage services not only in their home country, but became a necessity for them to reach the country of their destination, and do the special arrangements sometimes even before reaching to the destination, and the reason why this misinterpretation happened is related directly to the “lack of sexual education in the Arab world”, and where it is established by Arab men when the masseuse is massaging “their naked bodies” they might as well ask her for a “happy ending”. (Read Sexual Education for masculine communities)

Traffic solutions in Arabia

Posted: June 6, 2011 in Arabs & Culture, Travel, tourism & Me
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Almost everybody gets stuck in traffic for at least a “couple of dozen” times, and for me the only solution “I knew then” to over come any traffic “effects” related to work or personal appointments I made sure to always start my journeys 120 minutes earlier to any appointment, and where in cities such as Amman, Bahrain, Riyadh, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, being late is a “common culture” mostly claimed due to traffic “but still” I always made sure to be on time if not earlier “I even haunted my employees on time respect issues”, but that was just like putting people in some sort of life threatening nightmare. And when it comes to traffic, all sorts of creative stories and excuses come up to cover the “original reason of being late”, even with providing simple solutions of time management, but lets leave that for another time.

After I have moved to Thailand, and as a new resident, the means of transportation with “cost effective and practical solutions” to handle all those traffics, led to getting a “Motorbike”, where all over South East Asia, the concept of using the Motorbike as the daily means of transportation, other that the obvious fact of avoiding “any kind of traffic”, but comes as a “financially effective” solution in terms of fuel consumption costs, as well as maintenance and most importantly the efficient “capital costs” of the Motorbikes in comparison to Cars.

the other benefits of driving a Motorbike in such beautiful nature offered by the South East Asian Region, and specifically in mountain and hill area’s such as Chiang Mai and the Golden Triangle area, making the Motorbike a “perfect tool” to enjoy all that fresh breeze of the mountain air and access roads to Waterfalls, Springs and various hills and fields spread all over the region, making “group Motorbike tours” or “private ones” a heck of an amazing experience.

Unfortunately, for the Arabian Gulf region, applying the same Asian concept of Motorbikes, would be an act of “pure torture” due to the all-year-round “dry heat desert weather”, the A/C is a “must” when it comes to transportation or going out from home, and where the only scenery provided in this region is “tall towers, and desert beach fronts” the concept of hiring a Motorbike to tour around the country is considered “an act of madness”, but still you would find “Motorbike groupies” in their thick leather jackets “conquering the Arabian deserts”.

But even in countries with a more convenient weather and “relatively” drivable roads such as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the concept of Motorbikes would have never advanced to more than “delivery boys” and “company bike drivers”. Just the thought of seeing “Arabic women” driving motorbikes is a “serious” invitation for sexual harassment to advance on roads by their masculine communities.(Read Sexual education for masculine communities)

and where “to those countries” the financial effects of using such a concept in the daily life of our “youth at least” will have massive effects on our personal finances in “rough economical times” blowing the region as a whole.

But the culture of “showing off” instilled in our societies and “blessed culturally”, is just another reason why “the motorbike concept” wont work, so to avoid all the sexual harassment cases and to “save the pride of our societies image” either move to another country, or stop complaining about a problem “you’re the cause of it”.

Sense fulfilling food diet

Posted: June 5, 2011 in Arabs & Culture, Travel, tourism & Me
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Pizza Burger by Burger King

I lived most my 20′s on a “huge junk food” diet, and I have tried everything from “triple burgers” to mountains of cheesy meaty pizza’s and sandwiches with all kinds of “firework” mouthwatering effects that are set to fulfill every “taste bud” you could ever imagine. As a “big eater” I never had issues with weight loss or gain, and have always kept my self in shape, no thanks to “exercise” I have a gift of not gaining weight with all the foods & deserts I practically “shoved down my throat”, which gave me a huge capacity to “swallow” any amounts of food I wanted.

Thai Food "as fresh as it can get"

but after moving to South East Asia, I found it particularly easy to shift down to a more healthier diet, due to their “fresh picked” naturally “hormones free” grown vegetables that taste more like “fruits”, with various aromas while wondering around their local “fresh ingredients” markets, makes me want to mix up a whole different type of exotic herbs and spices that will awaken every inch of your “senses”. Suddenly, food became an Art to me,and no “junk food cravings” would be more satisfactory than this transformation in creating “tastes for moods”, combing a whole line of fresh vegetables, most of which “I never heard of”.

Fruits however, are a different story, not only would you be able to locate a fruits shop, at every street corner in Thailand, but each one of them combines the easy accessibility and enjoyment of eating fruits while you’re on the road, or stopping by the riverside, nibbling on a bag full of fresh exotic fruits, sliced up nicely in a small “transparent” bag with a small stick to enjoy your fruits “slice by slice” , from juicy “honey mango’s” to “mouthwatering yellow watermelons” and fruit combo’s of mango and orange tastes in “mangostiens” or grapefruit and grapes in “longan fruits”.

Thai Fruits Shop

As a kid “growing up in the middle east” the chance of tasting real fresh food in general is not the theme of the region ” I literary was shocked that fruits and vegetables taste like this in Thailand” which explains the vast expansion of the “junk food business” in the Arab region, where they actually “have the nerve” to call some of the big junk food “brands” as a healthy option.

Thai tomato

Arabic tomato

I remember never being able to cope with my mom’s cooking or any homemade meal in the middle east, even though it was amazing when it was all about “homemade pizza’s or barbequed burgers”, but the sight of Arabic fruits and vegetables, makes you want to reconsider the quality of your food system, which makes you turn to “claimed” industries of healthy food. However, the concept of healthy food in the Arab region, usually consists of eating a lot of those “fancy expensive” salads, and gourmet french dishes, making a healthy food diet, not only a “dream”, but an invitation to other junky “more cheap” options for the general public.

Nevertheless, I was able to cope with all the healthy options that Thailand has to offer, from local fresh markets with all kinds of fruits, vegetables and various kinds of meats for all kinds of diets with an amazingly “low cost budget”. Thailand relays pretty much on its local production of the food chain system, and where “everybody” is able “not only” to have healthy meals on their tables on a daily basis, but has created a community that relays on its own natural resources to provide quality healthy foods with low costs enabling “everybody” to have a living in Thailand no matter what your “daily, monthly, or yearly” budget is. And where “globalization & junk food industries” are offered as a “luxury option” for those who prefer the “junkie lifestyle” in Thailand, it remains a fact that the healthy food lifestyle here, offers far more benefits than any other country could ever provide to human health.

Homemade fresh ingredients gourmet meal

Facts on “City Vs. Nature”

Posted: May 27, 2011 in Travel, tourism & Me
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I just came back from Kuala Lumpur after a 4 day trip to do my student visa thru the Thai embassy there to pick up a one year course in Thai language and culture, and the reason why I am mentioning that is because the past week I couldn’t concentrate on my work nevertheless do any writing “even though everything is scheduled and prepared and just needed some final touches”. However, it gave me some time to think and reorganize “prioritize” things in my life, realizing at the same time, how really important the “environment” in which you undertake, to be your comfort zone. and its amazing when I get to think back and remember, how in every and each stage of my life, I couldn’t “force” personal development to support my overall development in life unless I first go through the proper experience required for the next “planed stage”. And that, in general applied to all the past years of my “City” career life.

Twin tower

Being in Kuala Lumpur “reminded me” how to some sort of “fact” that “global pattern developed cities”  limits your abilities as well as your opportunities in “certain pursuits” in life which is a key factor to those people seeking self acknowledgment and take “total” control on their lives., especially the ones who have a creative “artistic” perspective to their path, as most “entrepreneurs”, and its not just the “cubicle” life of every day “9 to 5 pm” routine, but the fact that you have “no control whatsoever” over this “globally” controlled cubicles we waste our time and energy in.

Cubicle office life

Last year when I first moved from Dubai, after 3 years of operating my own brand company, and even though it was a very amazing experience that I have learned a lot from “especially from my failures” and realizing that it was not “my natural environment” because it was actually not “A” natural environment anyways. Most of you heard about Dubai’s “bubble burst” which I am pretty sure they can recover from “due to the huge financial support from its neighbor emirate “Abu Dhabi” a finer example on “long term future investments”. But it doesn’t stop their, the effect on me was more on the social and cultural side of Dubai, in a market controlled by “a handful of shaikhs”, and where creative concepts has no place “unless you play by their corporate rules” which is basically the same story in any other “global attached markets”.

"Above the clouds" Dubai skyline

and that’s where Chiang Mai “stands out”, as a naturally artistic boutique tropical city, filled with hills and mountains that is home to various “Gem spots” from waterfalls to hot springs, and streams. And where an originally “inhabited” by “hill-tribes” developing it from a “farming village” to a naturally and “local cultured” developed city. Not only the uniqueness of its people “Local Thai’s or Resident foreigners” but the peaceful nature filled with all sorts of art related professions, from wood carving to painting, cooking to trekking, photography to inspirational writing, this city has it all. However, this city is only suitable for the people who are looking to take “a leap of faith” rather than “an organized plan”.

Chiang Mai hill-tribes

A year ago, when I came to Chiang Mai for the first time, even though I was just starting the launch of my new travel concierge concept, I just knew that this city will be my next stop and “probably my final resting place”, and i knew back then  that “my third visit” will be “to stay”. “the traditional city life” is no match to this “bohemian lifestyle city”, especially if you’re comparing “Dubai’s desert” to “South East Asia’s tropical forests”. But still of course there’s the people who do prefer the traditional “busy” city life as part of its adrenaline, for them, this city is actually their thoughts of “retirement” rather than “creative entrepreneurship”.

Chiang Mai nature elephant trekking

Today, after a 4 day trip to Kuala Lumpur, I was reminded by a friends saying “you have to leave this city from time to time, to “wake up from the dream” reminding your self of the positive energy you have enriched your life with and the self satisfaction you developed just from being here.

Is it possible to write in English?

Posted: May 11, 2011 in Travel, tourism & Me
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When you are in Thailand, the commonly used language other than Thai is English,  but even as a foreigner spending a considerable amount of time here, it is necessary for you to take up a Thai language course for at least a year. This is especially important, if you are considering to do business with Thai’s or any Thai establishment.

The first thing we did when we came to Chiang Mai is signing up for a Thai language course, and since then I have been trying to realize the fact that I will be picking up a new language, and till recently, I didn’t realize how extremely important it is to my work, even though it is not related to Thai’s at all.

The other day I went on to one of the resorts here in Chiang Mai, I wanted to visit them to check out and see if they are as good as they say they would be, to do some marketing & advertising work for them. the whole visit went great, and as usual they were pleasant and cheerful as they could ever be. So, I went back home and wanted to write them a thank you email, and as an opportunity to document what I have offered to them during the tour in terms of products & services available from my side.

In the usual cases, the company or establishment will get back to me when they are in need of my services, or might not at all be of their interest! that how it always worked…but with Thai’s its always joyfully a little bit different:

Dear Hussein,
Thank you for your email but I am not sure what language this is and therefore unable to read your email, is it possible to write in English?

In memory of a Butterfly.

Posted: May 9, 2011 in Travel, tourism & Me
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Everybody goes through significant events during their life, and each significant event have its own collaborative effect on our lives, from moving to a new place, traveling to a new country, to meeting your better half, or even a loss of a significant other. other people have significant attachments to what usually would seem nothing but objects and places. Those people have collaborative effects from those objects & places same as the people with significant events in their lives.

Last year when my wife and I arrived to Chiang Mai / Thailand for a short vacation for the first time in our lives together. I remember the very moment were we landed in a boutique cozy kinda airport, it was a cloudless night, filled with a wind breeze mixed with fresh herbal scents from the countless hills all the way from the Airport until we reached a huge wooden door in the middle of nowhere! on the banks of an enchanting Ping River. It was 10:30 pm when we were greeted with warmth and kindness filled in the air the moment you land in this city, and even though it was very late for a check in! but that’s just one of the secrets why this place holds power that could change lives…


We were already coming from an amazing resort in Phuket located on a mountain cliff with an amazing sea view. But this place had something different and unique about it, and you begin to acknowledge and be aware of that from the very moment you step in. with its small antique accessories and touches of natural and amazing landscaping, on your way from the entrance stopping at an open air reception, to you’re own private Thai style house, one of the amazing pleasures you’ll enjoy here, to the fact that days passed by without moving an inch outside the resort huge gates.

After a little while, from an awoken dream, I started to realize and feel, that although I am still practically in the city, but feels like thousands of miles away from stresses of life, and the fact that they don’t have a T.V in their rooms makes complete sense to why you need to be here. “But just in case you need to watch some T.V, they have provided a whole theater for you to enjoy satellite T.V, and  play your own DVD’s and others are provided as well, but anyways… “who needs them”.

   

After an awesome restful night in their carefully selected mattress’, we went down to have some breakfast, which was both simple and very delightful, perfected with a view of a garden backyard on the banks of Ping River. We took a small walk around to admire the beautiful natural detailed art being drawn in-front of our eyes, feeding our souls with blissful aspirations and emotions of peace.

    

I went many natural and rich plantation spots around the world, but the nature I found here in Chiang Mai, and most importantly in our Butterfly is the real definition of natural art.

Enjoying the scenery made us want to go back to the room and spend the whole afternoon chilling out on the balcony listening and watching different kinds of living creatures. Staying in the room might seem to some people as being normal, but not those rooms, just by admiring the much appreciated details carved in every corner of this resort, sensibly inspiring the cultural and tradition side of Thailand. In addition to a  location which was simply amusing to the eyes and soul. The restrooms for example are located one floor down “basement style”, and has an access even to an outside shower, each house is located uniquely with maximum and complete privacy. So if you’re looking for some ultimate inspirational peaceful experience, this place WAS the place to be!

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Although we had the pleasure and privilege in finding such a place, becoming the reason why we relocated to this beautiful city later on. For us we mark today with significance to both our lives, as of today our butterfly will no longer be a resort, but will become a “private rehabilitation center” which makes complete sense because of what this place offers “makes me have second thoughts to admit myself”… I am positive it gave the new owners and everybody who has been and “will be there” a peaceful sense of a spiritual connection with all life elements around them.

   

- A Big special thanks to Khuned & Ying for such amazing times…