How did that happen?
and...where the hell do I begin?
My Mom visited me for almost 3 weeks and we had a wonderful time in Chiang Mai and Southern Thailand :) bumming it on beaches, riding elephants, exploring sea caves, enjoying really weird Thailand tours, and stuffing our faces with Ovaltine Cookie Milkshakes.
From my last blog post, I'm pretty sure I manifested this (though I'm not sure anything is really left up to us anymore...)
but I'm dating someone in Chiang Mai. He's the nicest man in the whole universe, intelligent, compassionate, an amazing writer/poet/rapper/dj, hilarious, goofy, and all around incredible.
It's safe to say that neither of us really know where this is going after I leave (and probably/possibly return [sorry, Dad]) and I think there are no expectations. Maybe hopes? But we both have an understanding of the unexpected way life works, which is to also say...we don't understand it at all. HA!
I was spending the majority of my time volunteering at the dog shelter all day in the crazy triple digit weather, which is only going to get worse. But the shelter is closed for a little bit because of parvo virus, unfortunately. However, I am working on a special project to get 4 temple dogs adopted. They are living in a cage because they kill chickens (what dog wouldn't enjoy this?!) and the monks wanted to kill them. But an older Thai woman (who already has 9 dogs at her place) rescued them and is taking care of them.
At the shelter, I had a weird thing happening where every dog that I specifically really loved was adopted all of a sudden. So, I'm hoping with the combined efforts of media, the shelter staff, and the adoption manifestations of my love, we can get ALL of them adopted before I leave.
During my mandatory time off from the shelter, I spent 2 weeks with Pichet, the "master" of Thai Massage. I arrive at 9:30, Pichet will give a Dhamma talk for as long as he feels called to, we do morning prayers, Pichet normally demonstrates on somebody, and then we just work on each other until around 4pm. His method is to pretty much not teach anything--except listening. No protocol, no sequence, no "try this move".
He had a huge impact on me. He specifically liked to work on me and kept saying I was a "good body teacher" (because my body was so messed up and it was easy to feel). He also liked to hit me on the head with his knuckles hahahah.
He said that my body injuries were not from now but from years ago, as a result of emotion and protection. And of course, he is completely right. I've had trauma of all sorts from the last view years accumulating in my body and wrecking it. Lots of therapist have worked on me and could not figure it out. Pichet worked on me for a short amount of time and it is infinitely better. I think it was a combined effort of his incredible ability to listen to the body and I was finally ready to let it all go... everything I've been holding onto for years and using as protection.
This is what his Dhamma talks usually sound like, (mai at the end signifies a question)
"We do.. I like, I want, I need... headache! create suffering!
happy mai happy or no happy mai
We have t-shirt but we cannot keep...you die, do you take it with you?
Ohh headache! Hangover!
Too much thinking... not enough here *hits heart*
It is from protection and fighting...not from fighting other people but fighting here *hits heart*"
On another note, I'm now the voice of a new app that is being developed for teens. A constant thing in my life is getting jobs without applying for them and I love that it is still true halfway across the world. It has been fun to do and I got paid for it! For 4 hours of work today, I just paid all of my rent.
I have another special project that I'll give more details about soooooon!
There's a lot more but some things I just don't want to share.
It feels good not to share everything.
I have a little more than a month left and I'm not ready at all to come back, even for a little while.
I think people get offended when I tell them that.
But it's not a statement of my love for you.
Not at all.
And I hope my friends and family can have that understanding when I come back, crying.
I do love all of you though.
And appreciate your presence in my life.
Lots of mushy gushy love
-Jenifer
xoxo
weird 'Utah' graffiti in a shortcut alley I walk through
Under Pichet's advice and previous thoughts, I've taken out my belly button ring after 6-7 years
Met this soul sister at a Baha'i wedding we attended. (I already miss you Sahba! I can't wait until our paths cross once more)
Rock climbed in the jungle of Mae On with my friend Louis
