One heartbeat at a time

Happy in This Skin

kataotto — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:40:00 GMT

A Thai Dog is a Happy Dog

kataotto — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 20:38:00 GMT

Sawatdee Ka Thailand: First Impressions

kataotto — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:49:00 GMT

Am I Suffering from a crush or is Thailand really as friendly as it seems? I have to admit that I got a little teary eyed when I stepped off the plane and was greeted by a line of flight attendants holding their hands before their hearts, bowing to greet me, while musically singing hello to me in Thai “Sawatdee Ka.” It was amazing to feel the difference of being greeted with hands before the heart rather than with a wave or a handshake. I felt like we were greeting one another with our hearts rather than just our heads or our intellects. I know, I am a sucker for Buddhism, but I really did feel my heart rush, as I realized that I was stepping into a country strongly influced by the practices of Theravada Buddhism.

Why you should always question your booking agent and even what's printed on your ticket

kataotto — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:02:00 GMT

When I arrived at the Portland Airport almost a day and two flights ago, the ticket agent at the terminal could not find my flight from Narita to Bangkok. As I stood there wide eyed holding my body sized backpack and feeling my own breath stop in expectation, her fingers clicked and clicked the keybord while she shook her head and darted her eyes back and forth between her computer screen and the people around her with a multitude of puzzled expressions. Then, with a huge gasp, she discovered the problem... "Your travel agent did not account for the time change. You already missed your flight from Tokyo to Bangkok because they are a day ahead over there."

Luckily, it was my good fortune that the agenent was Japanese and held true to the customer service that her culture is known for, promising me: "Don't worry. Don't worry. It's not your fault. We'll take care of you." So with another deluge of clicking and a couple more shakes of her head she some how magically found me a place on today's flight from Tokyo to Bangkock and did not charge me for the mistake. Unfortunately, due to the error, I did end up being charged for my prepaid hotel in Bangkok and my flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. I will get some sleep tonight and try to face these issues with a clear head in the morning.

Gallery: Thailand

kataotto — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:55:00 GMT

Sawatdee Kaa Thailand

Empty and Ready

kataotto — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:14:00 GMT

As I sit here on my computer for the last time before my big adventure, I can see the wind gusting and leaves raining down from the old birch tree in front of our house. It is a quintessential overcast day in Portland, and the penetrating chill of the damp Northwest air makes it hard to believe that there might be sunshine warming the skies in any other crevasse of the world.

In Native American practices, Winter is associated with the Northern direction. It represents a time of emptiness and death where we go inside and clear our minds for what is to come. Today, as I prepare to take off to an unknown land where I will know no one, no direction or even the language, I feel as I close my eyes and see darkness, the vast expanse of nothingness. It is a blank slate that connects me to what I imagine as both the beginning of time and the infinite loop of time eternal. I am ready for my next blind step forward into the unknown.