Long Beach, WA

We decided to take advantage of the holiday weekend and head to the beach at the Washington Coast. Our friend Emily has a small beach cottage, circa late 1970, and we took her up on the offer to stay there. To make things fun, we decided to dress to match the vacation house. We donned whatever 70s clothing we could find and headed off down the road together (5 friends and 2 dogs) in a van, a 1970s ride of choice!

When we arrived at the beach cottage, dizzy from hours of listening to ABBA and the Jackson 5, our eyes beheld its gorgeous plaid mustard armchairs, orange TV trays, and wood paneled walls, among other delicious decor. We posed for photos, and Andy and Malia tied for the 'most authentic' costume award. Instagram, eat your heart out...

Memorial Day weekend in Washington is not your typical patriotic flag-waving and backyard BBQ affair.  But we bundled up and tried our best (note the fleece and sweatshirt attire), while listening to a few classics like 'Born in the USA' and 'Proud to Be an American'.

Alas, no coastal holiday weekend would be complete without a cold, gray day of hiking.  This is Cape Disappointment. 

Humorously, the beach next door is called 'Waikiki Beach'.  

Should you visit, be careful not to ponder what it would be like to sit on the real Waikiki Beach, as this is when true feelings of disappointment arise. 

The sun came out for our last day, just in time for a bundled-up nap on the beach,

and a race through the sand with my dog Sophie.

A Happy Memorial Day, Indeed.

Whidbey Institute

I just returned from a leadership retreat on Whidbey Island at the Whidbey Institute. 

www.whidbeyinstitute.org

For the record, I would like to acknowledge that Seattle's weather has been FABULOUS since I have returned from my travels abroad.  Every single weekend has been sunny, calling into question my serious doubts about Seattle's habitability.  Seducing me into believing that it is absolutely the prettiest place on earth to live....

And then came the rains.  For 4 days, the entire retreat. 

However, the Whidbey Institute is tucked away in the rolling hills and forrest land on an island just an hour away from Seattle.  It was an idyllic setting.  We stayed in an beautiful farmhouse, next to gorgeous gardens, and ate the most fabulously healthy and creative food prepared with a local and sustainable emphasis.  Their mission is "Inspiring and renewing people to serve a future that sustains us all." And their practices, people, and placement radiate with a poetic, earthy essence. Any place that can capture my heart amidst endless drizzle and gray is a special place indeed.  

I'd like to thank you, Whidbey Instite, for reminding me that gray skies actually make the flowers and green surroundings even more radiant.  This is an artist's secret: neutral backdrops bring colors to life.  

I would also like to add that I plan to continue traveling meditations.  Traveling is less about place and more about state of mind.  For me, traveling opens the mind to what is new, unexpected, and adventurous.  All this is possible without a change of location.  In fact, my most difficult and eye opening journeys have occured on the inside.  And these will continue, as I uncover new ways to live into what is calling my body and soul.  So for now, another favorite poem, from poet who lives nearby the Whidbey Institute - David Whyte.

EVERYTHING IS WAITING FOR YOU

 

(After Derek Mahon)

 

Your great mistake is to act the drama
as if you were alone.  As if life
were a progressive and cunning crime
with no witness to the tiny hidden
transgressions.  To feel abandoned is to deny
the intimacy of your surroundings.  Surely,
even you, at times, have felt the grand array;
the swelling presence, and the chorus, crowding
out your solo voice.  You must note
the way the soap dish enables you,
or the window latch grants you freedom.
Alertness is the hidden discipline of familiarity.
The stairs are your mentor of things
to come, the doors have always been there
to frighten you and invite you,
and the tiny speaker in the phone
is your dream-ladder to divinity.

 

Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into
the conversation.  The kettle is singing 
even as it pours you a drink, the cooking pots
have left their arrogant aloofness and
seen the good in you at last.  All the birds
and creatures of the world are unutterably
themselves.  Everything is waiting for you.

 

~ David Whyte ~

 

(Everything is Waiting for You)

 

 

Water Wars and Elephant Kisses

The Songkran (or New Year's) celebration in Chiang Mai, Thailand:

Imagine yourself in the middle of New Orleans during Mardi Gras, except without any lewd behavior or drunkenness.  Instead of throwing beads and confetti, you are engaged in an all-out water fight.  Perhaps you are riding in the back of a truck, carrying a water gun in one hand and a bucket in the other, and dousing any unlucky open vehicle that passes by.  Or perhaps you are riding double on an extremely loud, yet amazingly compact motorbike, wielding a supersoaker to blast pedestrians curbside.  OR even better, you are on hose duty, standing along the road, hose running and spraying cars, bikes, and pedestrians.  All things being equal, you are soaking wet.  But when the weather's approaching 100 degrees F, a little cool down isn't so bad. 

If you find yourself asking, 'Why?', as I did, here's the rundown we were given by our tour guide:  Songkran is Thai New Year's, and originally was a time for cleansing the altars and buddha images with holy water. It was also a time when young people would sprinkle water on their elders as a sign of respect.  One might go to the temple to watch the water being blessed by the monks, and then take some water home to lightly spritz on the hands and head of their parents and grandparents.  Oh, how traditions do change.  

Forget sprinkling, this is a water war.

Andy and I appreciated escaping the water and noise of Chiang Mai city for the surrounding green hills and forests.  We spent a few days trekking through the forest and burning farmland, staying overnight in a Hmong village.  We took a cooking class overlooking a rice field.  But our final Thai day took the cake...a visit to the Elephant Nature Park.  A place where domesticated/working elephants are offered care, respite and protection from abuse.  These huge, beautiful, smart, and sensitive creatures were amazing to see, to feed, and to bathe at this sanctuary set in the hills.  

And they kiss the tourists...as long as there's a bundle of bananas in it for them.  

What's it like to be kissed by an elephant?  Like a sloppy suction cup to the face.  

But, so sweet, you just want another one.  

"Love Blooms on the shoulder of the Elephant who is courteous to the Ant." ~ Hafiz

Thailand

First of all, I would like to invite you to take your shoes off and stay a while...don't forget to take them off again when you are at home, and also whenever you are in a store, at your favorite restaurant, your hotel room, or any other place other than the street.  In case you need convincing to embrace this Thai foot nudity imperative, this (below) is what I happened upon whilst taking a short hike to a beach in Koh Phi Phi Don.  

Notice the subtle use of persuasion here... Has anyone else had that dream where you show up to school and realize you forgot to wear shoes?  I don't think the people of Thailand have that dream. 

These two little guys are my buddies, and I make sure to give them a snuggle every time I pass by the Carpe Diem restaurant where they live.  

A few notes about Thailand's Beaches: They are gorgeous and cheap.  This is the mecca of budget travel....with a few bizillion travelers who have come to worship the gods of white sand beaches, mountain views, and gorgeous blue water.  If you thought you might just escape and stay in a completely remote location for quiet meditation, you might meditatively explore the concept of sharing, along with that of not passing judgment on annoying tourists or drunk college students, and hone your advanced meditation skills to the rhythm of the DJ bass beating full blast several blocks away (at midnight).

I know, life is tough.  And views like this one do give you meditation super powers. 

Here is another Hafiz poem for you...

Now 

That

All your worry

Has proved such an

Unlucrative 

Business

Why not

Find a

Better

Job

RELAX... and take off your shoes, please :)

Hong Kong photos

Hong Kong

Probably twice the size of New York, Hong Kong is a HUGE city...with highrise apartments, neon signs and enormous billboards to rival Times Square.  My first day off the long flight from Sydney happened to coincide with a one of the more rowdy expat events of the year: The Rugby Sevens' tournament, ie. an international excuse for a drunken costume party within a football stadium.  Christa and Nash got us tickets, which was a huge treat.  Several hours and Pimm's cups later, the scene inside the stadium reminded me, oddly, of college football game meets college halloween frat party, but with Asian signage and British accents.  My favorite match was when New Zealand pummelled the USA...the All Blacks (NZ national team) kicked the pants off of us, as well they should have.

Christa and Nash live in a lovely bay outside of the city, called Lobster Bay.  Their setting is so peaceful and idyllic, with views of the sea and mounains surronding a little fishing village.  Its quite easy to forget the concrete jungle, the people-packed metropolis that is Hong Kong only 25 minutes away.  This weekend, we took the kayaks outside the bay and then hiked from the beach up to the top of one of a hill, at Clearwater Bay Country Park.  The views were nice, though the smog gave everything a haze that looked as if it should burn off,  but actually never will.   Smog is a significant concern here.  Nash and Christa noted that certain days during the summer, when humidity and smog is at its height, children aren't allowed to go outside to play.  But right now, with almost no humidity and a light breeze, the sky everywhere just looks a little foggy.  

Christa took me into the city yesterday, to her old stomping grounds and the heart of Hong Kong's shopping district.  I saw every designer shop I have ever heard of, and a few hundred more which sounded vaguely familiar.  Aparently the Chinese like to shop.  And then there was the open market (below) The whole place fascinated me...the sights, smells, sounds, and the mass of people everywhere.  A long walk through the city markets and shops, a ride on the tram, followed by a foot massage, and it's official...I love this place.

Life Down Under

I am saying good-bye to Australia today...and I will miss feeling like a real Sydneysider alongside my hosts Liz, Logan, Reid, and Porter (yes, officially this little guy has a name)! 

Not only have I been learning about the land down under, I have also been experiencing Newborn-Landia.  Seeing the life of a baby, day 1 to 5, in all his ittie bittie 6.5 pound adorableness, has been a gift.  His little feet, miniature toes, teensy nose, all perfectly shaped and ready for exponential growth rates to come!  In the past month, my world has literally been turned upside down: from preparing people for the end of life to welcoming a new one into the world.  Life is practically overflowing from this household, with a 2 year old and 2 working parents.  Here is a photo of their first park outing with Porter, day 2.  

Alongside this rather stark juxtaposition, the land down under has been full of interesting distinctions from home. The season was late Summer, and is now Autumn.  The sports played here, rugby and cricket, only faintly resemble American baseball and football, but have their own incredibly complicated rules and are quite avidly followed.  The coffee culture is fabulous (definitely rivals Seattle in strength and surpasses Seattle in number of coffee shops per city block - I believe there are 3 within 1 block of Liz and Logans house).  But the coffee is different in size (no such thing as a grande or venti size) and terms (Flat White, Long Black, Short Black, Latte, and Cappuccino).  It has taken me about a month to figure out the difference between a Flat White and a Latte (key: its the amount of froth, ie. flat vs. foamy).  The money coinage  seems counterintuitive (they have $ .50 $1 and $2 coins, their sizes ranging in this order from largest to smallest).  Perhaps the most disorienting of all is the general mode of operation "on the left."   Walking, driving, biking, and just moving around - all on the left side takes a bit of reorientation.   The simplest acts of walking down a busy sidewalk, stepping onto a bus, or looking both ways before crossing the street...could quickly become disastrous if I allow auto pilot to kick in.  Perhaps my left handedness has finally come in handy.

Another chapter of this trip is closing. I leave for Hong Kong this evening.  Here is another poem by Hafiz, that anyone who is parenting may also appreciate:

Children

Can easily open the

Drawer

That lets the spirit rise up and wear

Its favorite costume of

Mirth and laughter.

When the mind is consumed with 

Remembrance of 

God

Something divine happens to the 

Heart

That 

Shapes the hand and tongue  

And eye into

The word

Love.