Michigan and Tennessee Summer 2015

Another summer vacation and school break for the kids while living abroad.  Time once again to travel back "home" to Michigan to see all our family and friends that we miss dearly.  This summer we decided to wait for my arrival in the United States to do some of the traveling.  So this year I got to visit Northern Michigan and also Tennessee to see my parents at their beautiful home.  Prior to my visit Natalie and the boys spent time with friends and even visited the Double JJ Ranch! 

Taking my words from prior years, it is impossible to capture in words the memories of summers back home with friends and family.  However the photos can clearly show the smiles the visit brings.  Living abroad now in Thailand is a bit easier than in China so we do not feel "as much" out of our comfort zone.  Or maybe we are just accustomed to the life of expats and the adventure of it all.  Life for us still never seems to feel stale, the new experiences keep us growing and learning as a family.  

Mark Twain is quoted in saying "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the one you did.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream. Discover."

Our journey continues but for now it's time to reflect on the few photos from the wonderful memory of our summer.

Koh Samet Island, Thailand

Taking advantage of all the islands Thailand has to offer we spent our long weekend in Koh Samet.  This island is known for it's sandy white beaches and clear waters, classified as a national park of great natural beauty.  It certainly did not disappoint!  We spent hours each day relaxing on Saikaew Beach and swimming in the ocean making it hard to believe such luxury was only an hour ride from our home.  At night the beach came alive with restaurants with tables right in the sand steps away from the water.  One night following dinner we sat on the beach, enjoyed a drink and watched an entertaining fire show.  It turned out to be a great hideaway from the stresses of work! 

Thai Amulets

In my exploration of Thai culture (which you cannot ignore the fundamental beliefs they have in Buddhism) I came across the practice and belief of wearing amulets.  An amulet is a symbolic piece of art that is traditionally worn as a necklace.  The practice of stamping amulets originated in India, the birthplace of Buddhism.  They are worn by almost all Thai people and many are avid collectors, made from stone, pottery or metal.  According to believers amulets can bring good luck, protection, fortune and much more based on the symbolism.  In choosing an amulet it is important that it is made and blessed by a monk.  A valuable amulet must come from a person who is thought to have special powers.  To create a powerful amulet monks pray intensively and perform spiritual acts to infuse the item with spiritual functions.  Thai people practice storing good merit by praying in temples, devoting money to temples and wearing amulets in the aim of being rewarded with a better life and good fortune through supernatural forces.  Thailand is one of the largest producers, sellers and exporters of amulets.

The Thais often feel that a particular amulet seeks out its rightful caretaker and "speaks" to a person who is acquiring it.  So I set off in the same interest as my tattoo to learn more about the Thai culture and see if my amulet could "find me"...  Through several conversations at work I was pointed in the direction of one of my employees by the name of Khun Artit.  After several conversations I quickly learned that K. Artit was an avid collector and also believer.  He volunteer to help me in my quest to find a proper amulet.  Days following he came to work with several amulets that he had selected for me to choose from.  I immediately gravitated towards one in particular that had many of the ancient Thai geometrical shapes that I became familiar with in my Sak Yant tattoo explorations.  This was the amulet for me and K. Artit explained the meaning behind it's origins and the blessings it had received.

My amulet was issued at Charunrat Temple in Chonburi, Thailand on December 19th, 2013.  The objective of issuing the amulet was for it's spiritual powers and also to expand the Temple.

 On one side of the amulet is Thao Vessuwan which is the name of the Chief of the Four Heavenly Kings and an important figure in Buddhism.  In Thailand they believe that Thao Vessuwan always protects people who try and attack Buddha.  He is believed to be very powerful.  He also has many spiritual properties by helping to protect, bring honor, wealth, fame and power.  The temple invited three famous monks to chant over the amulet and bring its magical powers.

1. Luang Phor Chan (LP Chan) - Wat Bangbo - He is 100 years old and is famous for his spiritual powers in amulets.

2. Luang Py Fu (LP Foo) - Wat Bangsamak - He is one of the famous guru monks in Thailand.  He is 81 years old.

3. Luang Pu Hok (LP Hok) - Wat RatRueang Sak

LP Foo

LP Chan

LP Hok

On the Amulet they are various spiritual geometrical shapes with ancient meaning.....

Below Brings Protection

Below Brings Protection as well

Below Brings Charm, Success, Protection and Power

Below Brings Charm and Success

Here is the finished amulet in a protective case that I now need to find a necklace for...  Another great experience in Thai culture.

Sak Yant Tattoos!

This past weekend our family traveled to Wat Sala Daeng temple so Natalie and I could get our first tattoos.  Wat Sala Deang is a classic Buddhist monastery about 30 minutes from downtown Bangkok.  There are about a hundred monks at this temple.  I had done so much research leading up to finding the right place/person for our traditional tattoo that there was no question in our minds that we wanted to do this.

First let me explain what a Sak Yant tattoo is.  A Sak Yant is a sacred geometrical tattoo which includes ancient scripture that is said to invoke spiritual and magical powers.  Sak means "tapping" as it is performed with a bamboo stick traditionally, nowadays a metal shaft.  "Yant" is derived from Yantra which means sacred geometrical design (or magic symbols of ancient decent).  Tattooing yantras on the skin has been part of Khmer or Thai cultures for longer than 2,000 years.

The tattoo I received is called a Gao Yord.  It is a most sacred tattoo with vary wide ranging powers of protection and fortune and is believed to be the most important of all available Sak Yant designs.  It is believed to bring luck and protect the bearer against evil spirits.

The tattoo Natalie received is called a Unnalome.  The spiral in the design indicates the early distractions we encounter in our daily lives and as we grow older and wiser , this spiral gradually decreases until it becomes a straight line pointing upwards.  This signifies the path to enlightenment.  This design is also seen in my Gao Yord tattoo.  Another way to look at it is the wavering oval are human desires or things that distract us such as material wealth or other attachments.    

We received our tattoos from Ajarn Bpom.  Only a Sak Yant Master and Buddhist Monk can perform the magic/blessing that comes along with these tattoos.  That is not to say you cannot go to any tattoo shop and get a Sak Yant tattoo with the bamboo technique, however it is the spiritual ritual and blessing that is also important.  Ajarn Bpom is a Buddhist and Ruesi Monk and one of the top Sak Yant Masters in Thailand, working from his temple in Wat Sala Daeng for 18 years now.  Most of us know that a Buddhist Monk devotes their lives to Buddhist values and well versed in the teachings.  Monks preserve and disseminate Buddha's teachings within their communities.  A Ruesi Monk originates from pre-Buddha times perhaps 3 to 4000 years ago.  They lived deep in the forest of Nepal and India separated from society and free from distractions that life brings.  They developed strong spiritual powers and is a heritage passed down from each generation.

This was a tremendous experience for us both a a memory of Thailand we will never forget.

From the time of this original post, I have received two additional tattoos.  Natalie also received an additional tattoo which is a combination of a unnalome and Ohm design.  

My second tattoo performed by the same monk was called Hah Taew, or also called the five lines tattoo.  There are five yants in the tattoo each with a unique magical spell.  Yants are chants and the sounds are pronounced over and over to invoke a state of mind where the mind can create magical spells.  Here is the meaning of each row.

1. The first row prevents unjust punishment and leans in your favor when the area is grey, cleans out unwanted spirits and protects the place you live in.

2. The second row reverses and protects against bad horoscope constellations and bad fortune.

3. The third row protects you from the use of black magic and anyone who tries to put a curse on you.

4. The forth row energizes your good luck, success and fortune in your future ambitions and life style.

5. The fifth row is to gain charisma and attraction to the opposite sex.  It is also a boost to the fourth row.

The last tattoo I received is called a Paed Tidt, or also known as the eights points or traveler tattoo.  This offers the bearer protection through eight directions of the compass.  The design incorporates eight representations of the Buddha.  These are the groups of three ovals each increasing in size from the top.  In Thailand there is a Buddha image for each day of the week, on Wednesday there are two (one for the morning and one for the evening).  This tattoo will give you protection no matter what direction you are traveling and ward off evil spirits.