Had Yuan Musings

The rain has been pounding off and on for three days now. It is nothing like the horrendous weather that annihilated parts of Burma. Thankfully, not like that at all. I rest easy atop a jungle laden hill stretching directly up from a beautiful white sand beach in my pretty white, vanilla yellow and light blue bungalow that has a solid frame, a good roof and sturdy French doors that stretch three “walls” of my bungalow wide open. I even have a small library of books shipped over from the States several months ago, a laptop with internet access and cell phone reception up here. My i-pod stereo speakers, standing fan and electronic kettle for tea make it a complete electronic “home.” Due to the sturdy frame and expansive roof, my comfy bed and hammock stay dry even when the wind and rain outside and all around me is torrential – yet I can still feel wind whipping through my hair by leaving my “walls” open wide. This is paradisal living at its best! Two sides of this bungalow overlook the turquoise blue bay where I will reside until June. I can see the bad weather approaching from miles away as it fuses into a grey white blur with the water and makes the horizon a big fluff of fuzz. It approaches quickly, then passes, then approaches again. There are regular lapses of sunshine in between. Again, this has only been for three days – every day prior has been sunny throughout the day. This bay is called Had Yuan and is on the southeast side of Koh Phangan – it is right next to the bay (Had Tien) where ‘Sanctuary’ that I discussed in my second blog entry is located.
It is sweet that the very place where I started on this island specifically asked me to return in order to teach yoga. In short, I came by Had Yuan for a night and ran into two people that I’ve become close to over my three months of visiting this bay periodically. We were sitting at dinner celebrating the end of my course when Kelli from Sanctuary asked if I wanted to teach yoga there. I said “yes.” Then Scratch (really named Paul, but so called b/c a few years ago, he was scratched on the face so deeply that the name stuck even after the marks subsided) asked if I wanted to teach yoga at Bamboo Hut. I said “yes” to that, too. Then the two of them conferred and decided it would be best for me to teach at Bamboo b/c it was a daily gig, whereas Sanctuary would be temporary. So, we decided I’d teach at Bamboo. Within minutes, someone else stated that one of the expats that lives in the jungle around Had Tien needed a cat sitter and I could live there for free – I happened to know the woman living there and she immediately assented that I could live there until May 15 rent free. I couldn’t believe how easy this was, but figured that this was proof positive that the universe does provide when you just decide to surrender to just being in the moment. The next day (Sun. April 27) , I returned to Pyramid in the NE side of the island for one last evening. It was a beautiful evening as we (several of my favorite friends from Pyramid) sang kirtan in the sound dome and had a late dinner at my favorite restaurant. The following day, I arrived at Had Yuan. I wasn’t really sure where I would stay, but the boat from Had Rin (the only way to get here is by boat from Had Rin) took me directly to the giant quartz boulder (the boats usually go to the beach and not directly to the bungalows – so this was quite an anomaly) that is part of Bamboo Hut in Had Yuan and without a word the boys came down to the boat, took all of my bags and brought them straight up to an open bungalow. Voila! Decision made. I had so many bags that the Bamboo Hut boys now call me “Supergirl.” I chose not to move into the jungle house as it had no electricity and smelled of cat urine. I suppose this would fit within my friend Mia’s suggestion for the name of my blog: “Confessions of a High Maintenance Traveler.” Ha ha. My friend Bianca didn’t mind either of these issues and also plans on staying for a while, so she took the place instead. After surveying both bays to see where I wanted to reside, I waited six days for this idyllic bungalow to become available and moved right in on Saturday May 3 – I have now been here 10 days. It is in short a charmed place, a charmed job, idyllic circumstances and very, very nice to be here.
I had my 35th birthday dinner on April 30 with about a dozen friends that I have made over the months from both Had Tien and Had Yuan. We sat outside eating steamed fish from lowlying tables with tiny kerosene lanterns on a platform that was on top of the same quartz boulder on which the boat landed days before. This is the same quartz boulder and platform on which I sat in awe when I first arrived at these bays and could not believe how many intelligent, sophisticated and interesting expats reside either full or part time here and live their lives completely divorced from corporate existence. I couldn’t believe that was possible when I first arrived. My, how times have changed. I cried again on the morning of my birthday b/c I couldn’t believe how blessed I am to be exactly where I am right now in my life. Blessed. I did not cry at my birthday dinner – I laughed – a lot. It was a very merry birthday, indeed. To illustrate the full circle happenings, here is what I wrote in my blog about this place, Bamboo Hut, and Lily the birthday girl is the woman who built the studio Blooming Lotus where I am now teaching:
Just over the hill is a delicious restaurant with a breathtaking view. I was invited by a couple of people to attend a birthday dinner of one of the yoga instructors the third night that I was at Sanctuary. I went to the party and the couple who invited me (one man was from San Francisco and the woman says she recognizes me from San Francisco - she's an Aussie but his girlfriend for a while - both burners) were not there. Sprawled out on pillows among low tables piled with mounds of mouth-watering Thai food and coconuts were dozens of layed back 'local transplants.' I greeted the beautiful birthday girl, Lily, who is a yoga teacher as she was getting four massages - on each limb from adoring men - and beaming a bright beautiful smile onto the party. The moon shined behind her and the sound of the waves far below made it seem like we were all floating. I wished her a happy birthday and joined the party. Even though I knew nobody, every person was open and kind. Within moments Kate from England and I were sharing a lovely steamed fish that we ate with our fingers - succulent sweet and spicy, it was. Kate has returned many times to this place and spent a long time travelling - she is me in a couple of years. She is relaxed, smart and beautiful. She said 'I look forward to seeing you again after your course.' I couldn't agree more. On my other side was Marisa - a champion thai boxer from Australia (I think) - who decided there should be gyms on the island. She started 'Jungle Gym.' Who knew a foreigner could come up with such a wacky idea and apparently be quite successful? Wild.The list goes on...the beauty of all of this, the realization that I'd left it all behind, the stark contrast between me and them as far as how completely laid back they were, the realization that every person at the table had chosen to change their lives in this manner....well, it was quite simply overwhelming. I kept feeling waves of emotion. I got up and walked to a giant boulder nearby and laid down to gaze at the stars and process my feelings. Shortly thereafter, I was joined by one of the men at the table - a wild blue eyed blonde with a gentle nature - named Shane. He silently joined me from a distance and after a few minutes we pointed out constellations to eachother and reveled in the beauty of the night sky. He then got up and rejoined the party. I did the same a few minutes later. The interactions here are that simple. Easy, natural and good.
As an update to this, Kelli from Sanctuary is the lady that invited me to the party and is returning to Australia shortly, Lily and her husband went back home to Canada until Dec., Shane returned to Australia until Dec. and I saw Kate off to Berlin two days after I arrived – she doesn’t know when she’ll return, but she will. Marisa is still here and last I heard, she cut the head off of a pit viper with a machete while the thais were building a new bungalow. She is one heck of a strong woman. I’ve only seen a tree snake here, thankfully. I am scheduled to go to Nepal in early June, although I may change my ticket to stay here until my visa expires on June 15. This is low tourist season and I like it here. I’ve perfected the technique to kill mosquitoes (you come from underneath and then slap) so there are really no inconveniences to staying. It’s quite comfortable here. We’ll see…Another option is Bali…
I have never been in better shape physically, mentally or spiritually. I feel great! Unfortunately, I took a light turn for the worse yesterday when I lost my footing (both of them) while walking off of my balcony onto my steps with full hands. My legs went straight up due to the wet surface from which I hydroplaned at a quick clip and I landed smack on my back (thoracic 12-7 from what I can feel) on the tiled balcony. Nothing broke my fall. It was very jarring, indeed. I can feel that the vertebrae are fine and that there is just something awry with the muscle along the right side of my spine. Yesterday, I did nothing but lay on my back all day. A beautiful Danish man named Morton brought me food and dvds throughout the day and was just plain awesome in taking care of me while I did nothing but lie down and cry because the pain was so great. Today is much, much better. I can get up, walk around, almost bend over and the pain is no longer so bad that I cry. What hurts more now is my elbow. Somehow during the fall, I tore a deep and nasty gash in my right elbow – the blood spurted everywhere – it was gross. These new injuries add to my puss oozing right knee that sustained a deep gash about a month ago when the driver of the motorbike I was on fell over on a dry, dirty road. The accident was in slow motion and really not a big deal at all. However, the knee is now infected because I went swimming in the water and didn’t clean it immediately after (I thought it was fully healed and closed up with a little scab. I guess I was wrong). So, I’m currently a bit incapacitated on my right side and can’t do the three back bends a day that I do for fun quite yet. But, it could be much, much worse! I’m taking this as an opportunity to sit down, update my blog, read some books, figure out how to download photographs and just relax. Mom and Grandma, please don’t worry – this is part of the adventure – I am taking very good care of myself and will certainly seek medical attention if necessary – I promise. It is not necessary. I know this. All a doctor can do is give me pain killers, first aid ointment, bandages and directives to rest – I’m doing all of this. My back feels much better today and I’m regularly applying iodine to the gashes and staying out of the water (boo hoo). No spinal surgery required. So all is well! I have substitute teachers for my yoga classes and will refrain from doing my own practice until I feel better. I have two brand new students scheduled for tomorrow and can teach them while sitting down, so this will be another new opportunity to share yoga in a different way. Okay, fine – whatever happens is fine. No problem.
Finally, I met a tan, buggy blue-eyed man at Bamboo Hut who has laugh lines on his face. He’s the beautiful Danish man who took care of me yesterday. He’s a 33-year old music producer from Copenhagen who just sold his flat and his business to travel the world. He wants to relocate and establish a recording studio in the States. He shipped an electronic keyboard all the way from Denmark to his bungalow so he could practice the piano! I have to wait two weeks to hear him, but he plays the drums and guitar beautifully. As if the buggy blue-eyed tan lined skin bit isn’t bizarre, I DID have the experience of pure contentment while standing in front of peaceful water while he was with me. I scoffed at the idea that I had seen this before and doubted I would rest my head on his shoulder b/c he was some distance behind me and told myself that it was just a coincidence…but then he approached me from behind, gently pulled me up to him and my head nestled just into the crook of his shoulder – JUST LIKE IN MY VISION. We have spent several days together. He’s unique, hilarious and he challenges me. He left today for one week and will return here until mid-June. Rather than read too much into this, I am simply recognizing that I am exactly where I need to be. This is all part of the moment to moment existence and I’m loving every minute of it. It is a marvelous coincidence, though! Note: he does not own a white linen shirt and his eyes are more green than blue at times…and I did see him off on a boat today, but I wasn’t standing on a dock. All of this relates to a vision I had after Holotropic Breathwork in October 2006: I was standing on a dock when I saw a buggy blue eyed man with a tan, lined face unloading stuff from a boat. I again saw him standing tall among a crowd of foreigners with darker skin. I then saw myself on waters edge with long hair and a yogic body gazing at water that looked a lot like Thailand at twilight feeling complete contentment. In that vision, the buggy blue eyed man reappeared from behind me, pulled me into him and I nestled my head on his shoulder.
Yet another miraculous experience on this incredible journey into the unkown…

I have been remiss in updating my blog and will take this rainy day opportunity to update it as best as I can from March 21 on…. Very, very soon…