Closing Day

CRAZY DAY... moved out of a house where I lived 20 years... AND sold the car right after.

I am exhausted... enjoying the hot tub at the hotel.

The 2 Things I Will Miss

As the clock ticks down, I realize that there will be only 2 things I will miss:
1. friends
and
2. the temple!

I said goodbye to the temple today... it was surprisingly difficult. The only place here that has grown close to my heart.

Well, on the upside, there's about hundred million temples in Asia, if not more. :)

Piranhas

People who trade in used cars are like piranhas. After putting up the ad to sell the car last night, I was wholly unprepared for an onslaught of people knocking at my door at 8 am with envelopes filled with cash wanting to close the deal.... which happened, btw. I guess it was my fault for doing too good of a job taking photos of the car... looked better digitally than in reality.
The car is sold, but still have it til Friday night.

Last Day at Work

Done... said good bye to my colleagues, friends, and students.... got an ovation from my class at the end and many students came up to me to shake my hand and thank me afterwards. One student said: "That was a hell of a course, sir!". :) Sure was. I appreciate having the chance to share my knowledge over the last 3 years and teach 100s of students during that time. It was interesting, but it is time to move on now.
Closing day in 4 days!

Thailand and India Ahead of Canada

Thailand and India are ahead of Canada in the HSBC's expat survey. Article here, full survey here.

Breathe (2011)

One of the best documentaries I have seen in a long time. Inspiring... at least for a nut like me. :)

You can watch the full documentary here.

Life is WAY WAY TOO SHORT to be ordinary.

10 Spiritual Tools

10 Spiritual Tools from my teacher... Admittedly, these are still a work in progress in my life. :) Pick one and stick with it.

From "Transcending The Levels of Consciousness," by Dr. David R. Hawkins, pp 333-334."

1. Be kind to everything and everyone, including oneself, all the time, with no exception.

2. Revere all of life in all of its expressions, no matter what, even if one does not understand it.

3. Presume no actual reliable knowledge of anything at all. Ask God to reveal its meaning.

4. Intend to see the hidden beauty of all that exists - it then reveals itself.

5. Forgive everything that is witnessed and experienced, no matter what. Remember Christ, Buddha, and Krishna all said that all error is due to ignorance. Socrates said that all men can choose only what they believe to be good.

6. Approach all of life with humility and be willing to surrender all positionalities and mental/emotional arguments or gain.

7. Be willing to forgo all perceptions of gain, desire, or profit and thereby be willing to be of selfless service to life in all of its expressions.

8. Make one's life a living prayer by intention, alignment, humility, and surrender. True spiritual reality is actually a way of being in the world.

9. By verification, confirm the levels of consciousness and spiritual truth of all teachers, teachings, spiritual groups, and literature with which one intends to be aligned or a student.

10. Accept that by spiritual declaration, commitment, and surrender, Knowingness arises that provides support, information, and all that is needed for the entire journey.

1 Week, 1 Day

Things are really winding down. 1 day of work left. Also, 1 week to closing day... moving out of a house where I lived close to 20 years.
Do I feel nostalgia? Not at all. The house has many ghosts... and I don't mind leaving them behind.

Oh Canada (Thanks!)

Coming Health Benefit Shocks for Canadian Retirees - an article in today's Star which pretty much dis-spells the myth of 'free' health care in Canada. Just one more thing that's bullshit in the 'True North'.

 "...the average cost of medical extras for those between 18 and 80 is $1,561 a year in Ontario..."

Thanks Canada, for making me pay for dental care, eye care, drugs, and other things.

THUMBS DOWN.

If Your Dreams Don't Scare You...

Inspiration

A friend of mine sent me an interesting article this morning... this guy was on the road 23 years!

Ramsey in Thailand

Gordon Ramsey in Thailand. Funniest moment when he tries to meditate. :)

Retired

Dad retired yesterday after 22 years working in Canada... he describes it as punishment. I hope he has an awesome retirement on the beach. :)

Instead

The Greatest Crime

Top 5 Regrets of the Dying

Based on this article, as a former hospice volunteer, I gotta say these are true... and worth reflecting on.

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

I would summarize these as follows:

1. Authenticity and BALLS.
2. FUN!
3. Openness.
4. Friendship.
5. Allowing.

Excited? Not really, not yet...

Lot of people say how excited I must be.... when I tell them my gauge is stuck at zero, I get puzzled looks.
I'm not excited for several reasons. There is still lot of loose ends to tie up, not to mention I work til the 27th.

I will be excited when...
1. closing day passes well and the house sale is FINAL FINAL.
2. the plane takes off.
3. I feel that warm, humid air on my skin when I touchdown in Bangkok and smell the air. :)

Til then, it's same old same old for me.... October in Canada. How exciting is that?

Unseemly Sights

Lest I give the impression I praise Thailand indiscriminately, that is not the case. You see many unseemly sights... not the least being nasty old men with young women, paid company.
The body language in this photo pretty much says it all.

Photo credit: Stickmanbangkok.com

Thoughts on Overcoming My Own Greed

I have been getting rid of my stuff for about a year and a half. The punishment for hoarding material goods was having to get rid of them. Sometimes that was painful (think of your favorite toys). The situation is analogous to a dying person, leaving and having to let go of their 'stuff'.... except I have been doing this in my 30s. I am grateful for it, for it taught me that I need little, if anything, in terms of tangible material goods in order to be happy.

"...what a nightmare it was thinking I needed all those things for happiness..."

To be perfectly honest, while my attachment to 'stuff' has drastically decreased, I have not overcome my attachment to money... or more exactly to comforts it provides... but I am on the way. :)

Photo credit: "For He Had Great Possessions"

You Know You Are Getting Close When...

... you are 80% packed, and are weighing your luggage to see if you meet the airline requirements. :) 10 lbs. left in that suitcase... seems everything will fit just right. 25 tshirts, a few pairs of shorts and jeans, socks and underwear, some books, laptop. Ready to roll!

On another note, I am sick of wearing my uncomfortable dress shoes to work (whatever is left of it lol). Running shoes from now on! :)

Different Kinds of Birds