Curl Up and Dye

Korea, unfortunately, is still a dog eating country, and those of us who live here see that a polar opposite phenomenon is happening at the same time: WHO CAN SPOIL HIS OR HER DOG THE MOST?

Everywhere you look, there are small dogs dressed in designer duds with profession hair cuts and dye jobs. Now, I'm all about treating one's dog like a child, but the dying seems a bit cruel. I mean, I would not dye a small child's hair. Anyway, I secretly think that the dyed dogs are super cute and hilarious. Every time, I go into a pet store to buy food, treats, etc. for Bear, I am met with a store full of Easter egg Fidos. My favorite is when groomers dye the dog's cheeks pink to look like blush. Again, I don't approve, but I think it's cute, so please don't rip me apart with comments. The dogs, despite receiving constant aesthetic torture, seem very happy, but most of them are spoiled and coddled so much that they do not like other dogs or people. It's obnoxious. Socialize your dogs, people!

So there you have it. Ugly people and ugly dogs are UNACCEPTABLE in Korea! Before you know it, the dog's will be receiving plastic surgery!

Don't worry. Many people have assured me that if I dye Bear, trouble will follow.

Also, Korea scientists have successfully cloned glow in the dark beagles. I'm all about scientific advances that can help humans, while avoiding animal abuse, but this is creepy. CHECK IT OUT

Home Sweet Home

Day Four

I arrived at the Phuket airport at midnight and boarded my flight at 2am. My stomach was still not feeling great. Actually, it was making horribly loud noises and moving like an alien would burst out any second. In other words, I was feeling "fabulous!" I was going to attempt to make a xanax-free flight, but I thought that 
maybe my stomach was nervous about the flight, so I popped some pills.

About 30 minutes into the flight, I fell asleep and awoke an hour later shaking with chills, nausea, and stomach cramps. I like to call what happened to my body throughout the rest of the flight and the next few days "The Thailand Detox." It was less than fun, but at least I survived and lost a few kilos.

I landed a few hours later in a winter wonderland. And by "winter wonderland," I mean "wicked cold version of hell." There was snow everywhere, and since I packed very lightly (who knew that was possible???) and only carried only my backpack to Thailand, I did not have a jacket, scarf, hat, gloves, or socks. It's very hard to pack lightly and efficiently when traveling to and from the tropics and the arctic.

Being undressed really wasn't an issue going to the airport because the airport shuttle stops in front of my apartments. The shuttle is very nice and very warm! Coming home, however, was  a different story.

I adopted a wonderful dog the day I returned from Thailand, so instead of taking the shuttle directly to my apartment in Suji, I took the shuttle to Itaewon (a foreign district in seoul) to pick up Bear, the sweetest dachshund in the world. I had a couple hours to kill in Itaewon, so I went to Tartine, my favorite bakery in the world (thus far), and had a sinfully delicious chocolate pie.

Knowing that I would have to take to two buses home, and sometimes a wait for a bus can take twenty minutes, I decided to buy some warmer accessories. Thanks to my awesome mom and Michelle, I have TONS of jackets, scarves, gloves, etc., so there was no need to spend much money. So I walked the cold snowy streets of Itaewon and bought the cheapest things I could find. I did very well, if I do say so myself. I bought a hat at Paris Baguette for 1,000 won, which is less than a dollar. Here is a pic of the hat. I absolutely love it! It was Christmas promotional item. If you bought a Christmas cake (They were anywhere from 20-50,000 won), you got a free hat. Since it was after Christmas, they were practically giving them away! It's too cute. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing:)

Next, I walked along all the street-side vendors, and finally settled on a Burberry knockoff scarf for 2,000 won ($1.78), a pair of fuzzy socks for 1,000 won (89cents), and a pair of leg warmers for another 2,000 won, which I cut holes in to create fingerless gloves. GRAND TOTAL: 6,000 WON! ($5.35) Not bad for a hat, scarf, gloves, and socks. Unfortunately, I completely broke my "made in sweatshop" rule once again, but I was FREEZING!!!!

Then, I met up with Elizabeth at the Hamilton Hotel and finally got to meet Bear. She is most definitely the best dog I have ever owned. She has not had a single accident in my apartment, she loves playing outside in the snow, and she is a TOTAL cuddle-monster! I'm in love. Sigh:)

Paradise Lost? No. Paradise Found!

DAY THREE

I do NOT want to leave the Karuna Yoga and Meditation Center! (commence pouting)

I can't express the feeling one has after a non-stop two hour yoga season with Julie. She somehow makes pain fun. It is impossible to be stressed or unhappy during and after her classes. Also, here is a little known fact. If you are ever mad, upset, or stressed, get onto halasana, or plow pose. (see pic below) I have tested this theory, and it is impossible to think about anything while in this asana (pose). It immediately calms you down. (If only I could do it on an airplane...)

In just a few days, I learned so much, and feel very happy and peaceful. I will be returning soon for a longer stay (perhaps August), so if anyone would like to join, please let me know. And don't stress about the vegetarian food and no alcohol. You won't miss it. Plus, they know each person is an adult, so a person can does his or her own thing, Going into town for dinner/drinks at night or doing local sight seeing is very common. No one keeps tabs on you or your participation. It is a very non-competitive environment, and everyone decides what daily schedule is best for him or her. So PLEASE, if you are interested in yoga, meditation, and exploring Thailand, come with me!

I am also very interested in staying a few days as a volunteer at the elephant conservatory in Chiangmai! Again, who's with me???

But let's focus on the present, for now. Today's morning consisted of hard-core yoga and relaxing at the pool. It was very refreshing, indeed. There was some confusion with Art (taxi driver) and the elephant trek, however. He was supposed to pick me up at 4pm, but he never showed I was heartbroken to be stood up on New Year's Day... sniffle:)

But it turns out that someone else called him for a pick-up around the same time. He was very apologetic and even gave me a discount on my ride to the airport. And he promised me next time he would make sure I get to do an elephant trek in the jungle. Oh how great thou Art!

(These signs were EVERYWHERE!)

So instead of the elephant trek, I hailed a tuk tuk (again, see pic below) and headed down to Kamala beach for relaxation and authentic pad thai, I won't lie, the food was incredible, but I have felt sick ever since. But I guess that is the price you sometimes pay for eating from a hut on the beach in Thailand. It's a culinary gamble. Maybe I got a tape worm! I've been wanting one for years!!!

Then I headed back to the Center and spent some time chatting with the non-vow of silence ladies. They were a fun bunch of women of all ages from Switzerland, England, The States, and various other places.

We watched at film called The Lion's Roar, a documentary about the life, teachings, and death of the 16th Karmapa. The Karmapa is the head of the largest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It was informative, but not the best documentary I've seen.

Many people keep asking if I have converted to Buddhism. No, I have not because I do not think that Buddhism should be viewed as a religion. It is a philosophical way of life.

"Originally, Buddhism was not a religion, but now it has become one. We can no longer deny that there is a 'Buddhist religion' because everywhere we look, Buddhism is displayed as a religion. Unlike the monasteries in the past which held eight-hour classes per day and provided another eight hours for self-cultivation, today's Buddhist 'temples' no longer uphold such a perseverance of the Buddha's Teachings. Today we mainly see people offering to the Buddha statues and praying for blessings and fortune. In this way, Buddhism has been wrongly changed into a religion." -Chin Kung

I no longer belong to a religion. I want to live a life free of religion and full of enlightenment and compassion. It has taken many years to come to terms with the power of mythology in our lives. I respect everyone, but I do not expect the same in return because life is not about worrying about how others view us. It is how we view ourselves. I say that like it is easy, but, I think we all know, it is not. That is why meditation is important for me. It clears my mind of any unnecessary insecurities about how others view me. I tend to over-analyze interactions with others and convince myself that I know what they think about me. The truth is I don't REALLY know you, and you don't REALLY know me. So let's not try to achieve the impossible. Instead, let's get to know ourselves. And we cannot do that if our brain is full of perceived thoughts of others and daily dramas. (I highly recommend studying Joseph Campbell's teachings, or watching The Power of Myth.)

OK, so I got way off topic....After watching the film, I tried to meditate as much as possible before leaving for the airport, but it was NOT happening. My mind was all over the place. And I did the exact opposite of what I had been taught. I ran away (not literally) from my meditation session. Ah, the joys of flying. Now, please pass the xanax. It's almost time to leave paradise:(

See you in the good ol' ROK!

The Beast

Day Two

I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed New Year's Eve morning, which means I moaned, groaned, and hit snooze until I remembered "I'm in Thailand!"

I took a quick shower, got dressed, packed my backpack, and, by 7am, was in a cab. I was going to the Phi Phi Islands! For those of you that have not read my previous blogs (shame on you), this is where The Beach was filmed. And I have quickly discovered that most of the people of Thailand are not fans of that particular film. In fact, they hate it, but more on that later.

Karuna Yoga and Meditation Center's cab driver, Art, is delightful. He speaks perfect English and knows Phuket like the back of his hand. The first thing he said to me after he picked me up at the airport was "Everyday someone dies in a motorcycle accident"

Umm...Ok. was it random information time? What do I reply? "Dogs and bees cam smell fear?" At 3am, I'm a little slow. Then I got what he was really saying. "Don't rent a motor bike. It's dangerous." Well, thanks, Art, because that was EXACTLY my plan, die in Thailand on a motorbike. Hell, I'm scared to ride a bicycle these days.   

 Good ol' Art was practically a tour guide because he arranged my entire day for me, which included a speed boat trip to three of the islands, breakfast, lunch, and snorkeling. And he got me a discount! tomorrow he is bringing me to play with elephants:)

Also, when I got into the cab, He gave me a freshly picked orchid and said "Happy New Year!" It was so sweet, and I had completely forgotten that it was New Year's Eve.

Next, I jetted of to the Phi Phi Islands. I instantly made a friend on the boat. Shocking, I know! He was a nice young gay (I'm assuming, and I tend to be a gay magnet.) man from Singapore with a background in theatre. Yeah, I can't imagine why we hit it off.  Can you??? He was traveling with two friends, also from Singapore, and we had a blast island hopping all day.

The Phi Phi Islands are so beautiful. It's hard to believe they are real. Yes, I went to Maya Bay, where The Beach was filmed. Now, I will explain the locals' problem with the film.

The amount of drug-trafficking in the film does not exactly portray Thailand in a positive light. Also bulldozers were used on the island to make it more esthetically pleasing to the eye. This did not bode well with environmentalists. Plus, while increased interest in Maya Bay has been good for the tourist industry, the once completely isolated island is not longer a secret wonder of the world.  Even so, I highly recommend that everyone add Maya Bay to your bucket list ASAP! It's well worth the trip.

Upon arriving to the island, the ship captain made the following announcement:
(Side note: when he said "beach," it sounded like "beast.")

"We approaching Maya Bay. It is famous for movie, The Beast. You know The Beast? Well look at the beast. Do you see a coconut tree? No? That's because there is no coconut tree at Maya Bay. (I was waiting for him to say "YOU IDIOTS!") For movie, they take coconut tree from Phuket, put it on beast, make a movie, bring coconut tree back to Phuket. Now, if you want the beast, get on small boat. It will bring you to beast. You want great time snorkeling? Stay here on boat. You want beast? Enjoy beast!"

Noooo bitterness, whatsoever. He seemed VERY happy to promote The Beast. He probably has put a curse on Leonardo DiCaprio's head. But business is booming for him, so why be bitter in paradise?

All in all, it was one of the most surreal days of my life. I promise to post pics as soon as I get to my home sweet home in Korea.

It was a very long day. As soon as I got back to the Center at 6:30pm,  I did my evening meditation and passed out waaay before midnight. I was promptly awakened, however, at midnight by the sound of fireworks loud enough to shake the entire island of Phuket. I forgot where I was for a minute, and thought "We're under attack! Hit the deck! Crazy Kim has finally lost it!"
Then I remembered that I was not in Korea, and  the rest of the island was partying it up and ringing in the new year. I watched the fireworks out my window for a bit then slipped back into a coma.

It was probably my best New Year's Eve thus far. All alone in paradise. Although, I did miss my yearly date with Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin:( I wonder if they missed me?

Happy 2010, everyone!
Make it count!