To clear my head (I find that I need to do this often) I usually go for a walk. One of the best things about living in a village is that, if you learn how to appreciate the simple things of life, you never run out of beautiful things to see--whether it be a new tree you never noticed before, or a new path you never took, or simply watching the villagers go about their daily lives. Two days ago, I came across some young monks hanging out by the lake. I've walked past this particular lake several times but I never noticed the little dock that the monks were sitting on. One of them was a friend of mine who recently became a monk (all Thai men are encouraged to don the robe once in their life even if only for a short period of time) and he invited me to sit with them. As I sat there, I could hear the singing coming from the temple beside the lake and it was just perfect. I sat with them for about 40 minutes, answering the questions they had about America and asking them questions about life as a monk. Eventually an older monk who spoke a little bit of English arrived and we got to talk about life in the village and such. It was a great way to spend the afternoon and reaffirmed my belief that there are many special things to see out there...you just need to get out of your chair, get up, and walk to see them.
Some pics:
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